The platform from Student First Technologies — Theodore
Theodore, our education funding platform, is cloud-based, secure, and program-isolated — configured to the exact legislation or rules of any K–12 program. The platform supports State ESAs, Tax Credit Scholarships, microgrants, and managed spending programs on a single funds-based ledger.
Purpose-built for K–12 education funding — not retrofitted from generic spend management. Card issuance, fund custody, and ACH movement all run through the sponsor bank — Bangor Savings Bank, Member FDIC.
Built for education funding
Not retrofitted from generic spend management.
White-labeled per program
Configurable to the exact legislation or rules in scope.
Every transaction tracked
Reporting and audit ready out of the box.
Modular by design
Runs natively or integrates with an existing stack.
Theodore supports the entire funding lifecycle: intake, awarding, management, and disbursement — configured per program.
Sections 01–03
Applications, identity verification, income validation, and eligibility determination — native or integrated.
Sections 04–06
Funds-based ledger, per-student wallets, and program-isolated architecture.
Sections 07–09
Four paths: direct ACH, Pay Now, reimbursement with OCR adjudication, and TheoPay™.
Sections 10–12
Role-based access, multi-stage approvals, and audit-ready reporting out of the box.
The full funding lifecycle on one platform. Every transaction tracked, giving administrators clean data for reporting and audit out of the box.
Applications & eligibility
Mobile-first, multi-step applications with Persona-powered identity and income verifications embedded in the family flow. Configured per program, without code.
The rule engine
TheoPay™ scans the shopping cart, adjudicates every SKU against program rules, and issues a one-time-use virtual card — locked to that vendor, for that amount, for a finite window — when every item clears. Powered by a proprietary ML system built on deontic reasoning.
See TheoPay™Four disbursement paths
Direct ACH, Pay Now invoice payments, out-of-pocket reimbursement with OCR adjudication, or TheoPay™. The first three settle via ACH to known, verified parties. TheoPay™ enables open marketplace shopping.
Controls & reporting
Role-based access controls and configurable multi-stage approval workflows give administrators precise control over their team and program. Timestamped, attributable steps for a clean chain of decision-making.
Theodore deploys white-labeled to your custom domain with SSL. Families, education providers, and administrators interact with your program under your brand — not a generic platform URL.
Not a generic platform URL.
Token-based theming per tenant.
Portal, emails, and statements.
Your hometown identity is preserved.
Student First Technologies is a financial technology company, not a bank.
Theodore serves every stakeholder in the funding ecosystem.
See how Theodore can be configured for your specific program — schedule a demo with our team.