The video, presented by Manisha Snoyer, walks families and private schools through the EMMA enrollment workflow for the 2026‑2027 school year. It explains the partnership between schools and families after a student is awarded, how families locate and share the yearly Award ID, and how schools submit enrollment requests using that ID. The presenter details the new My Students and Action Items sections, the three‑panel Student Detail view (Student Profile, Applications, Enrollments), and the steps to apply for scholarships or print the award ID. The core of the tutorial covers reviewing enrollment requests, confirming or declining enrollment, and handling grade‑level mismatches through a documented request‑review‑approval loop, including required supporting documents. Finally, the video outlines notification behavior and provides Step Up for Students support hours and contact options.
Chapters
Welcome everyone, and thank you for joining us. Today we are going to walk through the enrollment process for families for the 2026-2027 school year. Our goal is to help you better understand what happens after a student is awarded, how to find important information in Emma, and what steps you need to take to complete enrollment successfully. Once a student has been awarded, the enrollment process begins. At this stage, both the school and the family have important roles. First, the school must make sure its profile is set up in Emma. Then the parent or guardian must find the student's award ID and share it with their eligible school of choice. After that, the school uses the award ID to submit the enrollment in Emma. Finally, the parent or guardian must log in, review the enrollment request, and approve scholarship payments. This partnership between families and schools is important because funds cannot be transferred until the school confirms admission and the parent approves the payment. One of the first things families need to do is locate the student's Award ID. To find it, log into your Emma account and go to the My Students section on your dashboard. If you have more than 3 students, you may need to click View All to see everyone listed on your account. Please keep in mind that Award IDs change every year, and if your student has not yet been awarded, the status may show as pending. Emma also allows families to print student details, including the Award ID, which can be saved or printed and then shared with the school to complete enrollment. It is important to know the difference between the Student ID and the Award ID. The Student ID is the number connected to your child's application and is often needed if you contact the Engagement Center for support. The Award ID is different. This is the number you will give to the eligible private school so they can complete enrollment. Since the Award ID changes each year, families should always make sure they are using the current year's Award ID. To find the Award ID again, families can go to the My Students tab in the menu. This area will show all students connected to the account. From there, select View Student at the bottom of the student box. Also, please note that if you want to see your student's available funds, that information can only be viewed by going to the My Students page. Emma now includes some updates designed to make the parent experience easier to navigate. Two key sections families will notice are Action Items and My Students. These areas help families quickly identify what needs attention and where to go to review student information. These improvements are meant to make the process more organized and user-friendly. On the parent or guardian dashboard, you can track your child's application and enrollment status. You will be able to view the award ID, the name of the school, and the program award amount. It is important to know that the program award amount is the amount awarded to the student. It is not the same as the amount currently available to spend. If you want more information about award amounts, you can use the link or QR code shown on the slide. EMA now allows you to view student details at a glance, similar to the dashboard view. If you need more information, simply select View Student. This will take you to a more detailed page for that student. Each student has their own information box, and this box includes several important details. Families can view the award ID, program award amount, current funds available, student status, and enrollment information. Having all of this together in one section helps families monitor their students' scholarship progress more easily. When you open a student's details, the information is now organized into 3 sections: Student Profile, Applications, and Enrollments. This layout makes it easier for families to understand where to look depending on what information they need. We will take a quick look at each of these sections next. The Student Profile section allows families to quickly view and update basic student information. This may include details such as the student's name, date of birth, gender, and relationship to the guardian. It is always a good idea to review this information and make sure it is correct and up to date. The Student Profile section allows families to quickly view and update basic student information. This may include details such as the student's name, date of birth, gender, and relationship to the guardian. It is always a good idea to review this information and make sure it is correct and up to date. If you would like to review all application history, you can go to the dashboard and choose View All. This will allow you to see previous and current applications connected to your account. Families can also search application history by selecting different scholarship tabs at the top of the page. The Enrollment section gives families information about their student's enrollment status. This includes the school year, school name, scholarship program, grade level, start and end dates, total tuition amount, and the current enrollment status. This section is especially important because it helps families confirm that the information submitted by the school is accurate. Above the student details, Families will now see two important options: Apply for Scholarship and Print Award ID. If you select Apply for Scholarship, Emma will take you to the available scholarship section of the dashboard. If you need a copy of the award letter or want to print the award ID information, you can select Print Award ID. Once the private school has enrolled your student in Emma, you will receive a notification asking you to log in and review the enrollment request. During this review, you will be able to see the student's start date, annual tuition amount, any discounts that have been applied, and the total amount due to the school. At that point, you will choose whether to confirm enrollment or decline enrollment and then submit your decision. It is very important to review this information carefully before moving forward. This next section focuses on the mismatch grade level correction process from the parent or guardian view. This is an important safeguard in EMMA that helps families review the grade level submitted during enrollment and make sure it matches what is expected for their student. Families can initiate a grade level change request by clicking into the application. Under Students section, click View Details to open the application. Click Request Grade Level Change to begin updating the student's grade level information on the application. At this stage, you will finalize these 3 sections before submitting your request. To stay updated, search under Application Details or check your notifications by clicking the bell icon located on the portal banner. After a school enrolls a student, the guardian can go into Emma and review the student's enrollment details. If there is a mismatch in grade level, the system will prompt the parent or guardian to review that information before confirming enrollment. Confirming enrollment. Once you click Confirm Enrollment, a pop-up window will appear asking you to verify whether the grade level shown is correct. When a guardian selects Yes to confirm the grade level, they are agreeing that their student will be in the grade listed by the school. Next, the guardian needs to provide a brief explanation confirming why they agree with the grade level. Additionally, the guardian must upload supporting documents. These documents might include a report card, school enrollment information, assessment results, or portfolio review documentation. Once these items are submitted, the request goes back for review. If you select No, the school will be notified of a request to review the grade level. The school will then evaluate the information based on the explanation you provided. If the school approves the requested change, they will send a new enrollment request with the updated grade level for you to review and confirm. If the school does not agree, you may be asked to review the grade level again, or the school may contact you directly about next steps. This process helps ensure that any concerns are addressed before enrollment is finalized. At this stage, the school is actively reviewing the documentation and explanation you've submitted. It's crucial for families to keep a close eye on their Emma account for any updates regarding their student's grade level correction status. Once you receive approval, the next step is for you as the guardian to confirm your student's enrollment. You'll be able to review the updated application grade. This is important because it ensures that all the information aligns with your expectations before you move Forward. After you've reviewed everything, you will click the blue Confirm Enrollment button to finalize the process. If you select No, the school will be notified of a request to review the grade level. The school will then evaluate the information based on the explanation you provided. If the school approves the requested change, they will send a new enrollment request with the updated grade level for you to review and confirm. If the school does not agree, you may be asked to review the grade level again, or the school may contact you directly about next steps. This process helps ensure that any concerns are addressed before enrollment is finalized. After selecting Confirm Enrollment, you will see a pop-up asking if you are sure you want to continue. This is your final opportunity to review the information before submitting your decision. If everything looks correct, you can continue. If you decide you need to go back and make changes or review the details again, choose Cancel to return to the previous screen. If you select Decline Enrollment, you will also receive a pop-up asking you to confirm your choice. Again, this gives you one more chance to review the information before moving forward. If you change your mind, You can choose Cancel and return to the previous screen. If enrollment is declined because of an incorrect amount or another concern, the school will need to redo the process and send a new enrollment request for you to review and confirm again. Thank you for watching. If you need additional help, support is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Families can contact Step Up for Students by phone or visit the website to chat with a representative. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you need assistance navigating EMMA or completing the enrollment process. We're here to support you every step of the way.
