CEOF Selects Student First Technologies as Technology Provider
NEWS RELEASE
Catholic Education Opportunity Fund Selects Student First Technologies as Scholarship Administration Technology Provider for the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit
ROMEOVILLE, Ill. — Sept. 16, 2026 — The Catholic Education Opportunity Fund (CEOF), a national Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO), today announced it has selected Student First Technologies (SFT) as its end-to-end scholarship administration technology provider for the upcoming Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC).
Through this partnership, Student First Technologies will provide the technology infrastructure CEOF needs to manage donor contributions, verify scholarship eligibility, ensure regulatory compliance, and administer scholarships to families at participating Catholic schools nationwide. With Student First Technologies’ platform in place, CEOF will be positioned to onboard partner Catholic schools and dioceses and begin administering scholarships as soon as the FSTC takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Student First Technologies has spent more than a decade building software for SGOs, supporting education funding programs across the country. Its platform is designed to give SGOs the tools to launch new funding programs at scale while maintaining the security, compliance, and reporting rigor required by state and federal regulators.
Statement by Joseph Esser, director, Catholic Education Opportunity Fund:
“We at Catholic Education Opportunity Fund are very excited to be partnering with Student First Technologies as our end-to-end technology platform provider. SFT has years of nonprofit and state-level experience working with SGOs and other education funding programs. SFT aligns with our mission of supporting Catholic schools with the FSTC program, and we look forward to the impact this partnership will have for Catholic students and families for years to come.”
Statement by Forrest Fowler, CEO, Student First Technologies:
“For more than ten years, we’ve partnered with Scholarship Granting Organizations to remove the barriers between generous donors and the schools and students who need their support. We’re proud to bring that experience to our partnership with the Catholic Education Opportunity Fund for this exciting new federal opportunity. This partnership is exactly the kind of work we set out to do — giving SGOs and partner schools the tools to turn their mission and vision into reality from day one, and to build the impact they’ll make for students and families for years to come.”
About Catholic Education Opportunity Fund
Catholic Education Opportunity Fund is a national 501(c)(3) Scholarship Granting Organization committed to expanding access to Catholic education nationwide. The De La Salle Christian Brothers of the United States and Canada established CEOF as an expression of the Lasallian mission, rooted in the vision and innovative spirit of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, patron saint of teachers, who founded the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in 1680 to provide a human and Christian education to the young, especially the poor. CEOF will work with participating Catholic schools to connect Federal Scholarship Tax Credit contributions with scholarship opportunities for students and families — preserving each school's charism while managing compliance, donor tools, and scholarship administration.
About Student First Technologies
Student First Technologies is a financial technology company on the forefront of building and implementing education funding programs nationwide. SFT helps administer Tax Credit Scholarships, Education Savings Accounts, and Microgrants for scholarship granting organizations, state agencies, nonprofits, and schools nationwide. With more than a decade of experience expanding school choice, the company's end-to-end platform is designed to give partners the security, accountability, and ease of use they need to administer their programs. SFT has helped more than 300,000 students with access to over $1.3 billion in education funding.
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Media Contact
Linda Larrigan, marketing and communications lead