Registering your school with CEN SGO
Updated September 28, 2026 · 7 min read
- Related guides:
- What CEN does and what your school doesRunning a donor campaign at your schoolWhich schools qualify
- Tool:
- State tracker
The steps to go live, what the partner agreement covers, and what your school gets.
In brief
- Registering with CEN is free. There's no sign-up fee and no cost to take part.
- It starts with enrolling online, or a 30-minute walkthrough if you'd like to talk first. Most schools finish onboarding within a few weeks.
- Six steps: enroll online, agreement, portal accounts, giving page, marketing kit and application window.
- Register before the end of 2026 so your parents can pledge before donations open on January 1, 2027.
- Your school does a short list of things. CEN handles compliance, receipts, verification and payments.
Why now
Donations start counting on January 1, 2027. (Source: P.L. 119-21) Donors can pledge before then, and parents who pledge in the fall are the ones most likely to donate in January. A school that's registered by the end of 2026 has its giving page live and its campaign running before day one.
You don't have to wait for your state. You can set up now. Scholarships can be awarded once your state has opted in and listed CEN SGO. (Source: §25F(g))
Each donor can take a dollar-for-dollar federal credit of up to $1,700 a year. (Source: §25F(b)) For most of your parents, grandparents and alumni, that's tax they'd pay anyway, now sent to your school's scholarship fund instead. The schools that start early get the first conversations with those donors.
Before you register
Registration is open to private Christian schools, K-12, that meet the federal definition of an eligible school and follow their state's rules for private schools. Which schools qualify has the full test. If you're not sure, ask the team. It's the first thing we check.
Your school also needs a way to confirm enrollment and to apply an award to a family's tuition account. Almost every school already has both. You don't need new software, a new bank account or a new staff role.
Six steps
- Week 1
Enroll online
Sign your school up on the CEN SGO portal. Want to talk first? A 30-minute walkthrough shows the portal and gives you a working timeline.
- Week 1 to 2
Sign the agreement
One document, no fees. Your head of school or board chair signs.
- Week 2
Portal accounts
CEN creates logins for your head of school, business manager and advancement lead.
- Week 2 to 3
Your giving page goes live
A page in your school's name. Every donation made through it goes to your school's fund.
- Week 3
Your marketing kit arrives
Emails, a chapel script, a bulletin insert, social posts and a parent FAQ, co-branded with your school.
- Week 3 to 4
Set your application window
You and CEN pick the dates families apply for scholarships at your school.
Book the walkthrough with Rick Thiebout, CEN's School Partnership Director. Bring whoever will run the program day to day, usually your business manager. The more of your team that sees the portal early, the faster the rest goes.
What the walkthrough covers
- Your eligibility. A quick check that your school meets the federal and state rules.
- The portal, on your school. Applicants, awards, your fund balance and deadlines, as your team will see them.
- Your timeline. Working back from January 1, 2027 to the dates your giving page and campaign go live.
- Your state. Where it stands on opting in, and what that means for when scholarships can be awarded.
- The agreement. What it covers, and a copy for your board and counsel to review.
What the agreement covers
One document sets out who does what. Your school keeps a short list. CEN runs the rest.
Your school
- Signs the partner agreement
- Confirms each scholarship student's enrollment
- Shares the campaign with parents, alumni and church partners
- Reports student changes: withdrawals, transfers, grade changes
- Applies each award to the family's tuition account
- Names one contact for CEN
CEN SGO
- Registers as an SGO in your state and stays on the state's list
- Holds donations in the separate accounts the law requires
- Issues every donor's acknowledgment
- Verifies every family's income
- Awards scholarships under the federal priority rules
- Pays your school directly
- Files state and federal reports, and completes the annual audit
- Provides the marketing kit, family communications and portal training
The agreement itself sets out how long it runs and how either side can end it. Ask for a copy on your walkthrough and have your counsel read it before you sign.
What you get
The school portal
One dashboard for applicants, awards, your fund balance and deadlines.
A branded giving page
Your school's own link for donors. Every donation through it goes to your fund.
The marketing kit
Ready-to-send emails, scripts, inserts and posts in your school's name.
Family communications
Deadline reminders, decision letters and renewal nudges, sent with your sign-off.
A named CEN contact
One person who knows your school, your timeline and your team.
The portal also has tuition tools for fee settings, and an assistant for your team. Schools that have run CEN's program for a full year report saving 4 to 6 weeks of staff time per enrollment cycle. Schools page
Who to involve
| Who | Their part | Time it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Head of school | Joins the walkthrough and signs the agreement | An hour or two at the start |
| Business manager | Confirms enrollment and applies awards to tuition accounts | A few hours each term |
| Advancement lead | Runs the donor campaign with the kit | Most active in the fall and January |
| Your board | Reviews the agreement and CEN's statement of faith | One meeting |
The compliance calendar shows your board how the program runs through the year and which dates fall to CEN.
What to have ready
- Your school's legal name, address and state registration details.
- Your tuition and fee schedule by grade.
- Names and emails for everyone who needs portal access.
- Your enrollment calendar, so the application window fits it.
- Your logo, for the giving page and the kit.
A worked example
Early October 2026
Example school books its walkthrough and signs the agreement the next week.
Mid October
Portal logins arrive and the giving page goes live.
November
The kit's announce email goes out and the chapel script is read. Pledges start.
December
The pledge drive continues. The application window is agreed with CEN.
January 1, 2027
Donations open. Everyone who pledged gets a link to complete their donation.
After you go live
Once the giving page is up, your team's work settles into a steady rhythm. Families apply to CEN, not to you. CEN verifies income and awards scholarships. Your part is to confirm that each awarded student is enrolled, apply the award to their tuition account and tell CEN if a student leaves or changes grade.
You'll see every applicant, award and payment in the portal. How awards are made and paid is in Awards and payment. How the federal credit sits alongside any state program you already run is in Federal and state programs for schools.
Common mistakes
- Waiting for your state to join before registering.
- Leaving the business manager out of setup. They'll confirm enrollment all year.
- Announcing the campaign before the giving page is live.
- Setting an application window that clashes with re-enrollment.
- Writing your own tax explanations for parents instead of using the kit's approved wording.
- Promising a family a scholarship. Awards are made by CEN under the federal rules, not by the school.
Next step
Register your schoolQuestions about this guide? See them on the FAQ page
Sources: P.L. 119-21; §25F(g); §25F(b); §25F(d)(1)(B); Notice 2025-70
