Step Up for Students

PALO ALTO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Back to school can be a stressful time for parents and students – particularly those with financial and special needs. Step Up For Students is out to change this. The non-profit, which is expected to provide scholarships this fall to about 110,000 qualifying students in the state of Florida, today announced plans for a digital marketplace powered by SAP Ariba through which recipients will be able to purchase education along with associated services and supplies in a simple, consumer-like way.

“Premikati has particular expertise in simplifying complex challenges like these which will be key for a successful program.”

“At Step Up For Students, we don’t believe that quality education should be determined by financial means or disability, and we have made it our mission to give children from lower income families and those with special needs a chance at a brighter future through the scholarships we help to manage,” said Doug Tuthill, President, Step Up For Students.

Fueling Equal Opportunity

To advance this mission, Step Up For Students will leverage SAP Ariba’s cloud-based applications to provide an easy and efficient way for parents and caregivers of scholarship recipients to pursue and engage in the most appropriate learning options for their children. The nonprofit will begin to introduce the platform during the 2017-2018 school year with the goal of full implementation by 2018-2019.

“Education is the great equalizer,” said Alex Atzberger, President, SAP Ariba. “Yet there remains a significant divide in the ability for everyone to capture opportunities to learn. Technology is powerful tool that can change this and we are pleased to be supporting Step Up For Students in their mission to innovate with the purpose of closing this gap.”

Using SAP Ariba® Buying and Invoicing™ and SAP Ariba Commerce Automation™, Step Up For Students will create online catalogs through which scholarship recipients can find, buy and pay for tuition at schools of their choice along with educational services and school supplies with just a few clicks.

Bridging the Digital Divide

The solutions will be accessible anywhere, anytime via any device, including mobile phones – a key factor in Step Up For Students’ selection.

“Many of those we serve lack access to technology in their homes and it was critical that we remove this as a barrier,” said Scott Massey, Chief Information Officer, Step Up For Students.

Enter SAP Ariba partner Premikati. “Step Up for Students has high user counts where the users are not actually employees but rather students and their families,” said Premikati CEO Marisol Buczynski Buchanan. “Premikati has particular expertise in simplifying complex challenges like these which will be key for a successful program.”

SAP Ariba offers a range of solutions that help organizations of all sizes digitize the source to settle process and run faster, simpler and smarter than ever before. To learn more about the them and the value they can deliver, visit www.ariba.com.

About Step Up For Students

Step Up For Students is a nonprofit organization that helps manage the income-based Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program. Students who qualify for the national free or reduced-price lunch program, or those who are homeless or in foster or out-of-home care, may qualify. The scholarship program provides tuition assistance to the private school of their parents’ choice or financial assistance to offset the transportation cost to an out-of-district public school. Since 2001, Step Up has awarded nearly 580,000 scholarships.

Step Up also helps administer the state-funded Gardiner Scholarship Program for Florida students with certain special needs. With the Gardiner Scholarship, recipients may use the funds for a variety of approved services including private school tuition and fees, private tutoring, occupational therapy, instructional materials and other services. For more information, visit: http://www.StepUpForStudents.org.

About Premikati

Premikati is an Indianapolis-based WBENC certified WBE Management Consulting and BPO firm that utilizes SAP Ariba solutions as a key component of its service offerings. Premikati helps its clients with all facets of Procurement and Contract Management, focusing on simplifying complex processes and challenges. To learn more about the company, visit www.premikati.com.

About SAP Ariba

SAP Ariba is how companies connect to get business done. On the Ariba Network, buyers and suppliers from more than 2.8 million companies and 190 countries discover new opportunities, collaborate on transactions and grow their relationships. Buyers can manage the entire purchasing process, while controlling spending, finding new sources of savings and building a healthy supply chain. And suppliers can connect with profitable customers and efficiently scale existing relationships – simplifying sales cycles and improving cash control along the way. The result is a dynamic, digital marketplace, where nearly $1 trillion in commerce gets done every year.

To learn more about SAP Ariba, visit www.ariba.com.

About SAP

As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE:SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable approximately 355,000 customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com.

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