Next Steps Idaho

What Next Steps Idaho does

Next Steps Idaho is a statewide education and career-planning initiative operated by the Idaho State Board of Education, established in 2015 and headquartered at 650 West State Street, Boise. It functions as a free public clearinghouse that helps Idaho residents — primarily high school students (grades 8-12), adult learners, special-population students, and the educators/counselors who serve them — navigate career exploration, college selection, financial aid, and workforce training. The platform integrates several sub-products: Idaho LAUNCH (a workforce-aligned grant covering up to 80% of tuition and fees, capped at $8,000, with approximately $75 million available annually for 9,000-10,000 awards), Idaho Campus Choice (a direct-admissions program that pre-admits students to eight Idaho public colleges based on GPA and ISAT scores), Apply Idaho (a common application for up to 10 Idaho colleges), Scholarship Idaho (a common application for eight state-managed scholarships serving 10,000+ applicants annually), and a suite of self-assessment tools (Future Finder, Career Clusters, Interest Profiler, Plan Smart, Work Values, Learning Styles, Career Family Tree) plus resource directories for careers, colleges, and 12,631+ scholarships.

The platform is built on a web/cloud architecture using Amazon Cognito for identity management, Azure Blob Storage for media assets, and Microsoft Appian (hosted at wdc.appiancloud.us) for the Idaho Grant Management System that processes LAUNCH funds. An AI-enabled chatbot named Rocket handles text-based user queries about LAUNCH offers, documents, and deadlines. The platform is FERPA-, COPPA-, and Idaho Student Data Accountability Act-compliant, and inherits enterprise-grade compliance posture through Amazon Cognito (HIPAA-eligible, SOC, ISO/IEC 27001/27017/27018, ISO 9001).

Because Next Steps Idaho is a government initiative, its revenue model is not commercial. Operating costs are covered by state appropriations, potentially supplemented by federal workforce-development funds, and all services are provided free to end users with no login required for basic access. The business logic is policy-driven: align Idaho's education-to-workforce pipeline with in-demand careers via the LAUNCH grant, the Campus Choice direct-admissions funnel, and the consolidated scholarship portal — administered in partnership with the Idaho Department of Education, the Idaho Workforce Development Council, and Idaho's public colleges and employers.

Name

Next Steps Idaho

Legal name

Office of the Idaho State Board of Education

Website

https://nextsteps.idaho.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Next Steps Idaho is a free statewide education and career-planning platform operated by the Idaho State Board of Education, serving high school students, adult learners, and educators with career assessments, college search, scholarship applications, and the Idaho LAUNCH workforce-training grant.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education and Career Planning Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Post-Secondary Transition Planning & Coordination (EDAKANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tuition Assistance & Voucher/ESA Program Administration (EDADAHAF), College & Career Transition Services (Bridge Programs, Dual Enrollment Pathways) (EDAAABAK)

Keywords

• Education career planning
• College admissions platform
• Scholarship application services
• Workforce training grants
• State education initiative

Headquarters

HQ city

Boise

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. State Government Funding: Funded by the Idaho State Board of Education as a statewide initiative. Operating costs covered through state appropriations and may include federal workforce development funds.
2. Idaho LAUNCH Grant Administration: Approximately $75 million annually in LAUNCH funding distributed to 9,000-10,000 students per year. The program is administered through Idaho Workforce Development Council and Scholarship Idaho portal.
3. Idaho Opportunity Scholarship: State-managed scholarship program funded through state appropriations, with approximately $20 million in scholarship funds available to Idaho students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Next Steps Idaho is a free, statewide initiative of the Idaho State Board of Education that provides Idaho residents with online tools for career exploration, college planning, financial aid guidance, and scholarship applications. The platform integrates the Idaho LAUNCH grant program (up to $8,000 covering 80% of tuition and fees), Idaho Campus Choice direct admissions, Apply Idaho common college application, and Scholarship Idaho common scholarship application, alongside self-assessment quizzes and resource directories.

Product overview

Next Steps Idaho is a comprehensive statewide education and career planning platform offered by the Idaho State Board of Education. The platform consists of a core portal with multiple integrated products including Idaho LAUNCH (grant program for tuition up to $8,000), Idaho Campus Choice (direct college admissions), Apply Idaho (common application for 10 Idaho colleges), and Scholarship Idaho (common application for 8 state-managed scholarships). The platform also includes self-assessment tools (Future Finder, Career Clusters, Interest Profiler, Work Values, Learning Styles, Plan Smart) and resource directories (Colleges & Universities Directory, Scholarships Directory, Resource Library, Career Browser). Key sub-products serve specific audiences including high school students (8th-12th grade portal), adult learners, and special populations. The platform is free and open to the public with optional account creation for saving results.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Idaho LAUNCH: A grant program for Idaho students to attend education and training programs in Idaho, providing up to $8,000 for tuition and fees.
• Idaho Campus Choice
• Apply Idaho
• Scholarship Idaho

Products and services

• Next Steps Idaho Platform A comprehensive statewide initiative and web platform designed to support and guide Idahoans at different stages of life as they seek education, training, career change or advancement. The platform provides career exploration tools, college planning resources, financial aid information, and scholarship applications, all free and open to the public.
• Idaho LAUNCH A grant program that prepares students for Idaho's workforce needs by providing grants of up to $8,000 (covering 80% of tuition and fees) for education and training programs at eligible Idaho institutions. Available for both high school seniors and adult learners, with approximately $75 million in annual funding supporting 9,000-10,000 awards per year.
• Idaho Campus Choice A direct admissions program that pre-admits Idaho high school seniors to Idaho colleges based on their high school GPA and ISAT scores. Students with 3.0+ GPA or ISAT levels of 3+ are pre-admitted to 8 Idaho public colleges and universities; the program also includes college course placement features.
• Scholarship Idaho A free common application platform for eight state-managed scholarships and grants. Eligibility is determined in real-time and backed by school-reported data. More than 10,000 Idahoans apply annually through this platform.
• Apply Idaho A single, common college application for up to 10 Idaho colleges and universities. Free to use and available exclusively to Idaho high school seniors.
• Future Finder An interactive career quiz that recommends jobs based on users' skills and interests through a multi-step questionnaire. Part of the self-assessment and planning tools suite.
• Career Clusters A career assessment tool that sorts through 900+ careers to identify industry clusters most likely to appeal to users. Includes 16 career clusters covering agriculture, health sciences, IT, manufacturing, and more.
• Interest Profiler A career assessment quiz that helps users discover their interests and how they relate to the world of work and specific careers.
• Plan Smart An interactive budget planning tool that allows users to explore lifestyle costs in Idaho and find careers and jobs that match their desired income level.
• Work Values A career assessment tool that identifies the values users cherish most in work and helps them find careers that align with those values.
• Learning Styles An inventory tool that helps users identify their learning style preferences by rating different activities.
• Career Family Tree A career exploration tool that helps users examine careers chosen by family members to gain insights into potential career paths.
• Career Browser A searchable database of 100+ careers in Idaho with filtering by salary, Idaho LAUNCH eligibility, career cluster, and career interest areas.
• Resource Library An information center with tools and resources covering career exploration, training opportunities, college planning, and financial aid topics.
• Colleges & Universities Directory A searchable directory of Idaho colleges and universities with filtering by location, student body size, college type, setting, and admissions process.
• Scholarships Directory A searchable directory of 12,631+ scholarships with filtering by amount, state, school type, GPA, and field of study. Data sourced from Peterson's and individual scholarship providers.
• High School Students Portal Grade-by-grade guidance (8th-12th grade) with timelines and checklists to help students prepare for life after high school, including information about Idaho LAUNCH, scholarships, and self-assessment tools.
• Events Calendar A calendar of events including campus events, tours, conferences, workshops, financial aid deadlines, and Idaho LAUNCH support events across Idaho regions.
• Student Portfolios Digital accounts where students can save self-assessment results, bookmark resources, and track progress through interactive activities. Available for students of any age with parental consent for those under 13.
• Special Populations Hub A centralized resource hub for students with disabilities, English language learners, first-generation students, and TRIO participants, providing links to support services across Idaho's eight public colleges.
• Idaho Grant Management System A portal for managing Idaho LAUNCH grant funds, accepting final offers, and uploading documentation for identity, residency, and graduation verification.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of students who complete FAFSA receive some type of financial aid
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Idaho State Board of EducationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary sponsoring agency of Next Steps Idaho. The Office of the Idaho State Board of Education creates and maintains all resources and services provided through the platform. Governs all student data and scholarship programs.
• Idaho Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in supporting career and education planning for Idaho students. Collaborates on resources for grades 7-12 including Advanced Opportunities program and CTE program finder.
• Idaho Workforce Development CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministers the Idaho LAUNCH grant program and workforce training initiatives. Manages approximately $75 million in annual LAUNCH funding. Contact: [email protected]
• Idaho's EmployerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Next Steps Idaho to align education and career opportunities with Idaho's workforce needs. Input shapes in-demand career lists and LAUNCH program priorities.
• Idaho Public Colleges and UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEight participating institutions: Boise State University, University of Idaho, Idaho State University, Lewis-Clark State College, College of Idaho, North Idaho College, College of Southern Idaho, College of Western Idaho, College of Eastern Idaho. Participate in Idaho Campus Choice direct admissions and Apply Idaho common application.

Scale indicators7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CaliforniaColleges.edu: California's official statewide college and career planning portal sponsored by the California Student Aid Commission. Closest functional analog — combines career exploration, college planning, financial aid, and integrates state-specific grant and admission workflows.
• CFNC (College Foundation of North Carolina): North Carolina's statewide college and career planning portal. Combines career assessments, college search, financial aid, and a common scholarship/application platform — directly comparable to Next Steps Idaho's integrated state-portal model.

Emerging players

• Going Merry: Scholarship search and common application platform for students. Comparable to Scholarship Idaho's common-application functionality, though serving students nationally rather than state-specific scholarships.
• Xello: College and career readiness platform for K-12 schools. Provides career assessments, personality inventories, and post-secondary planning tools comparable to Future Finder and Plan Smart on Next Steps Idaho.
• Naviance (PowerSchool): K-12 college and career readiness platform widely used by school counselors. Comparable career assessment and college planning functionality, but delivered as a B2B SaaS to schools rather than a free state portal.

Broad incumbents

• BigFuture (College Board): College Board's free college and career planning platform. Directly comparable in combining career exploration, college search, and financial aid guidance — though operating nationally rather than state-specific, and not administering state grants.
• CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor): Federally sponsored career exploration, training, and job search resource. Comparable in providing free career assessments, salary data, training locators, and financial aid information at a national scale.

Regional players

• Ohio Means Jobs: Ohio's state-sponsored workforce and education portal connecting residents to training, jobs, and career exploration. Comparable as a state-government-led workforce development platform with similar career exploration and training pathway tools.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCeEvTuUW06XTi2sGLGPSAUg
• Facebookfacebook.com/NextStepsIdaho
• Instagraminstagram.com/nextstepsidaho
• Xx.com/nextstepsidaho

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Next Steps Idaho