What each state pays toward private education
33 programs, read from the programs’ own pages and dated. Where we could not confirm a number, we say so.
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Texas Education Freedom Accounts Education savings account
$10,474 per private school student for 2026-27More for students with disabilities; $2,000 for homeschooled students.
Arkansas Education Freedom Accounts Education savings account
$7,208 per student for 2026-27$8,011 for students who previously held a Succeed Scholarship, paid in four quarterly payments of $2,002.75.
Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Refundable tax credit
A maximum of $5,000 to $7,500 per student, set by household incomeThe credit is the lower of that maximum or the school’s tuition and fees after the school’s own scholarships and discounts, so it can be less than $5,000. Families on SNAP, TANF or SoonerCare get the $7,500 maximum whatever their income.
MOScholars Tax-credit scholarship
Up to $7,145 per student for 2026-27, more for some studentsThe law sets each ceiling as a share of the state adequacy target, which the Missouri education department lists as $7,145 for 2026-27: up to 100% of it for most students, 125% for students eligible for free or reduced lunch, 160% for English learners and 175% for students with an IEP. Worked example (our arithmetic, not a figure the state publishes): 175% of $7,145 is about $12,503. These are ceilings: assistance organizations may award less, and the average award in 2025-26 was $6,831.
Florida Family Empowerment and Tax Credit Scholarships Education savings account
About $8,000 on average, set by county and gradeFor 2026-27 the table runs from $7,463 (grades 9-12, lowest county) to $12,217 (grades K-3, Monroe County). Students with disabilities average about $10,000 under FES-UA.
Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account Education savings account
About $7,000 to $8,000 for most students (2025-26 figures)We could not confirm the 2026-27 amount from the state. By law the deposit is 90% of the state funding the student would bring to a charter school. Students with disabilities receive far more.
Iowa Students First Education Savings Account Education savings account
$8,148 per student for 2026-27Paid in two equal installments, fall and spring. New for 2026-27: a half-year ESA of $4,074 for the spring semester. Homeschooled students do not qualify.
Utah Fits All Scholarship Education savings account
Up to $8,000 for private school studentsHome-based students receive $4,000 (ages 5 to 11) or $6,000 (ages 12 to 18).
West Virginia Hope Scholarship Education savings account
$5,435.62 expected for 2026-27Apply late and you get less in your first year: 75% of the award for applications June 16 to September 15, 2026, 50% for September 16 to November 30, and 25% for December 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027 (Hope Scholarship home page, read October 8, 2026).
North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Scholarship
$3,574 to $7,942 per student, by household incomeFour income tiers. A family of four earning up to $61,050 gets the top amount. Students with disabilities can also use ESA+.
Indiana Choice Scholarship Scholarship
About $6,000 to $8,300, set by your home school districtThese are the state’s 2026-27 estimates. The award is the lesser of that figure or the school’s tuition and fees.
Ohio EdChoice Scholarship Scholarship
$6,166 for grades K-8, $8,408 for grades 9-12Families at or below 450% of the poverty level ($148,500 for a family of four) get the full amount. Above that it is scaled down.
Alabama CHOOSE Act Education savings account
$7,000 per student at a participating schoolHomeschooled students get $2,000 each, up to $4,000 a family.
Louisiana LA GATOR Scholarship Education savings account
$5,243 to $7,626 per student in 2025-26, by household incomeThese are the 2025-26 amounts; the state had not posted 2026-27 amounts when we checked. Families at or below 250% of the poverty level get the higher amount. Students with disabilities can receive up to $15,253 at or below 250% of the poverty level, and up to $12,870 above it.
Georgia Promise Scholarship Education savings account
Up to $6,500 per studentPaid in four quarterly installments.
South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund Education savings account
$7,634 per student for 2026-27Paid quarterly.
New Hampshire Education Freedom Accounts Education savings account
About $4,800 on average for 2026-27, NHPR reported (August 14, 2026)The amount varies by student. Extra funding applies for special education, English learners and lower-income students. We could not confirm the exact 2026-27 figures.
Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit Refundable tax credit
Up to $5,000 per studentUp to $7,500 for a student with a qualifying disability. It follows the tax year, so 2026 expenses are claimed in early 2027.
Wisconsin Private School Choice Programs Scholarship
$11,305 a year for grades K to 8 and $13,799 for grades 9 to 12 in 2026-27The Special Needs Scholarship is $16,477, a figure the state labels as estimated. Four year old kindergarten is paid at $6,783. The state notes that all 2026-27 amounts can still change by statute.
Maryland BOOST Scholarship Scholarship
$1,200 to $4,750 in 2025-26, plus $3,000 for high school studentsThese are 2025-26 amounts: $4,750 for students on free meals coming from public school, $3,750 on reduced price meals from public school, $1,600 on free meals already in private school and $1,200 on reduced price meals already in private school, plus $3,000 for high school students. Students receiving special education services were offered an extra award equal to their base award, so the largest 2025-26 offer was $12,500 (our sum of those figures); the 2026-27 budget requires that extra award to be at least equal to the base award. An award cannot be more than tuition, except for a student with a disability who needs tutoring or academic support. The advisory board sets new amounts each summer and had not posted 2026-27 figures in writing when we checked.
Nevada Opportunity Scholarship Tax-credit scholarship
Up to $10,367 per student for 2026-27$10,367 is the state maximum. Each scholarship organization sets the actual amount, and many awards are smaller.
Wyoming Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Education savings account
$7,000 per student per yearDeposited in four quarterly payments of $1,750, starting in early September.
Kansas Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program Tax-credit scholarship
Up to $8,000 per student per yearEach scholarship organization sets the amount. The Kansas State Department of Education reports 2,678 students awarded $7,954,838.45 in 2024-25, about $2,970 each on average.
Montana Tax Credits for Contributions to Student Scholarship Organizations Tax-credit scholarship
Set by each scholarship organizationEdChoice reports an average of $2,190 in 2022-23 (read October 2, 2026). By law a scholarship cannot exceed the state per-pupil average of total public school spending (MCA 15-30-3103).
South Dakota Partners in Education Tax Credit Program Tax-credit scholarship
About $2,457 on average (2025-26)The scholarship organization sets amounts. By law the average award may not exceed the state per-student equivalent; we did not verify that dollar figure.
Rhode Island Tax Credits for Contributions to Scholarship Organizations Tax-credit scholarship
About $3,245 on average in 2024, according to EdChoiceEach scholarship organization sets the amount. The average is from EdChoice's program page, read October 2, 2026; the state did not publish one we could read.
Mississippi Education Scholarship Account for Students with Special Needs Education savings account
Up to $8,421 for 2026-27Paid quarterly as reimbursements. The amount is reset each spring based on available funds.
Maine Town Tuitioning Program Scholarship
Tuition paid by your school district, up to a state formulaFor 2025-26 the state average tuition rates were $13,077.51 (elementary) and $15,055.22 (secondary). Payments to private elementary schools may not exceed the statewide average; secondary rates add an allowance for building costs. The 2026-27 rates are due in December 2026.
Vermont Town Tuitioning Scholarship
Tuition paid by your districtEach independent school sets its own tuition today. Act 169 of 2026 limits yearly increases in publicly funded tuition from fiscal 2028, and if a foundation formula takes effect (2029-30 at the earliest, under Act 170 of 2026), tuition would equal the funding amount for each student.
D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program Scholarship
Up to $10,000 for grades K to 8 and $15,000 for grades 9 to 12 (2026-27)Federally funded under the SOAR Act. EdChoice reports an average of $11,318 in 2024-25 (read October 2, 2026).
Pennsylvania EITC and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credits Tax-credit scholarship
Set by each scholarship organization. Opportunity Scholarships go up to $8,500, or $15,000 for a student with a disabilityEITC has no statewide maximum, and no scholarship may exceed tuition and fees. Students at schools in the economically disadvantaged schools supplement can get up to $2,000 more ($4,000 in secondary school). The state’s September 2026 OSTC guidelines restate the $8,500 and $15,000 maximums. EdChoice reports average awards of $2,613 (EITC) and $2,699 (OSTC) in 2022-23 (read October 2, 2026).
Virginia Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits Tax-credit scholarship
Up to the state share of per-pupil public school funding where you liveThe ceiling differs by school division. Students with disabilities at licensed special education schools can receive up to three times that share. In fiscal 2025, 5,336 scholarships were reported against $15.3 million in donor credits.
Figures read from each program’s official pages, October 8, 2026. Sources and how to apply
State by state
| State | Program | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama CHOOSE Act | Almost 49,000 students applied for 2026-27 and more than 34,000 were approved, the Governor’s office said. |
| Arizona | Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account | More than 100,000 students, at a cost past $1 billion a year, the Arizona Capitol Times reported on February 1, 2026. The Department of Education’s own counts sit on azed.gov, which blocks automated reading, so we do not quote them. There is no cap and no waitlist. |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Education Freedom Accounts | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported on September 18, 2026, citing the Education Department, that 55,833 applications had been filed for 2026-27 and that about 50,000 students are expected to take part: just over 28,000 in private school and about 21,000 homeschooled. We have not found these counts on a state page. |
| District of Columbia | D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program | 1,409 students used a scholarship in 2024-25 (1,220 returning and 189 new, from 3,212 applications), according to Serving Our Children. Congress appropriates about $17.5 million a year. |
| Florida | Florida Family Empowerment and Tax Credit Scholarships | Step Up For Students, the nonprofit that runs most of Florida’s scholarships, reported in April 2026 that more than 525,000 students were funded across the state’s K-12 scholarship programs in 2025-26 and that 2026-27 applications reached 500,000 on March 30, 2026. The Florida Department of Education’s own pages block automated reading, so we have not checked these against a state count. |
| Georgia | Georgia Promise Scholarship | About 13,500 students started 2026-27 with a Promise Scholarship, up from about 8,700 in 2025-26, according to The Current (September 30, 2026). The state has not published its own count. |
| Idaho | Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit | Capped at $50 million. The application period held in 2026 drew 7,055 applications for 12,561 students, the state’s My School Choice site reports. |
| Indiana | Indiana Choice Scholarship | 80,548 students took part in 2025-26: 78,965 in the first application period and 1,583 in the second, the Indiana Department of Education’s 2025-26 annual report says. There is no cap. |
| Iowa | Iowa Students First Education Savings Account | 41,044 students used an ESA in 2025-26, up from 27,866 the year before. There is no cap. |
| Kansas | Kansas Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program | The state reports 2,678 scholarship students at 105 private schools in 2024-25, and 15 certified scholarship organizations in its May 2026 directory. Donor credits are capped at $10 million a year. |
| Louisiana | Louisiana LA GATOR Scholarship | Nearly 17,000 eligible applications for 2026-27, against about 5,700 students funded the year before. Being eligible is not the same as being funded. |
| Maine | Maine Town Tuitioning Program | 1,827 students in 2024-25, according to EdChoice (read October 2, 2026). |
| Maryland | Maryland BOOST Scholarship | In 2025-26 the state received 6,381 applications, found 4,249 income eligible, and 2,796 students received awards. About two out of three eligible applicants got one. |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Education Scholarship Account for Students with Special Needs | In fiscal 2023 and 2024 the Department of Education offered ESAs to 515 students and paid out about $5.1 million, 90% of the money available, the Legislature's PEER Committee reported in December 2024 (its newest official count we found). Funded by a $5 million yearly appropriation. Eligible applicants are awarded first come, first served, then placed on a waitlist. |
| Missouri | MOScholars | 6,410 students received scholarships in 2025-26. The Treasurer’s June 2026 report projected about 12,000 participants for 2026-27 from applications filed by April 30, 2026; actual awards may be lower. |
| Montana | Montana Tax Credits for Contributions to Student Scholarship Organizations | EdChoice counted 1,050 students in 2022-23 (read October 2, 2026). Donor credits are capped at $7.2 million for 2026. |
| Nevada | Nevada Opportunity Scholarship | Five scholarship organizations are registered for 2026-27. In 2024 they paid 1,556 scholarships worth about $6.1 million, and 1,330 students were reported for the 2024-25 school year. |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire Education Freedom Accounts | The 12,500-student cap is full for 2026-27. On August 13, 2026 the program administrator, Children’s Scholarship Fund New Hampshire, reported 13,443 eligible students and 943 on the waitlist. Its parent handbook says the cap rises to 15,625 students in 2027-28. |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship | 104,599 students were enrolled in 2025-26, Carolina Journal reported on February 2, 2026, citing the state’s program data page. That page is on ncseaa.edu, which blocks automated reading, so we have not read the count there ourselves. |
| Ohio | Ohio EdChoice Scholarship | About 143,500 students: 42,607 on traditional EdChoice and 100,941 on Expansion. |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit | The Tax Commission’s September 3, 2026 report shows 41,466 students approved for 2026-27, plus 546 in the financially disadvantaged or homeless group. Credits for the year are capped at $277.3 million, and about $268.9 million had been approved. |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania EITC and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credits | Business credits are capped each year at $590 million for EITC (at least $375 million of it for scholarship organizations and up to $30.5 million for pre-K) and $90 million for OSTC. The state publishes no participation count. EdChoice counted 66,838 EITC and 18,773 OSTC students in 2022-23 (read October 2, 2026). |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island Tax Credits for Contributions to Scholarship Organizations | 428 students in 2024, according to EdChoice (read October 2, 2026). State law caps credits at $1.6 million a year, and only $298,750 was left for the July 2026 round, which went to a drawing. |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund | The 15,000-student cap for 2026-27 has been reached. Only the waitlist is open. |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Partners in Education Tax Credit Program | 1,783 students at 48 schools in 2025-26. Insurance company donations earn credits capped at $5 million a year. |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarships | 35,000 scholarships for 2026-27 after a 15,000-seat expansion in May 2026. More than 56,000 students applied. There is a waitlist. |
| Texas | Texas Education Freedom Accounts | More than 274,000 applications were received for 2026-27. As of August 28, 2026, more than 118,000 students held active awards. |
| Utah | Utah Fits All Scholarship | A record 27,560 students applied for 2026-27; 19,800 scholarships were awarded in June and about 7,500 students were placed on a waitlist, KUTV reported on July 6, 2026. The state allocated $120 million for the year. The program administrator’s own award notices block automated reading, so we have not checked these counts against them. |
| Vermont | Vermont Town Tuitioning | 3,541 students in 2022-23, according to EdChoice (read October 2, 2026), the newest count we found. |
| Virginia | Virginia Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits | 35 scholarship foundations were approved in fiscal 2025, and they reported 5,336 scholarships. Donor credits are capped at $25 million a year. |
| West Virginia | West Virginia Hope Scholarship | Nearly 29,000 applications were started for 2026-27, and more than 25,000 accounts were funded in the first quarter, the Treasurer reported in August 2026. There is no cap. |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Private School Choice Programs | In 2025-26 about 61,000 students used the four programs: 29,949 in Milwaukee, 4,170 in Racine, 23,417 statewide and 3,436 on the Special Needs Scholarship. Counts for 2026-27 are not published yet. For 2026-27, 140 schools signed up in Milwaukee, 40 in Racine, 374 statewide and 233 for the Special Needs Scholarship. |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Steamboat Legacy Scholarship | The Department of Education had approved 3,359 applications for 2026-27, with several hundred more pending and funding for about 4,200 students, WyoFile reported on September 11, 2026, quoting the department. We have not found these counts on a department page. |
By type of program
- Education savings accounts (ESAs) by state
- School vouchers by state
- Tax-credit scholarships by state
- Florida Unique Abilities Scholarship (FES-UA)
- Georgia Special Needs Scholarship
- Special needs scholarships and the schools state lists name for them
- Homeschool laws by state, and the programs that pay homeschoolers
- Can you use a school choice account for tutoring? State by state
States with no state program
These states have no state-funded program that pays private school tuition. Each page says what families there can use instead, and whether the state joined the federal scholarship tax credit that starts in 2027.
Coming in 2027: a federal layer
Starting January 1, 2027, a new federal tax credit (up to $1,700 per donor) funds scholarship organizations in states that opt in. 30 states were on the IRS list on September 14, 2026. It stacks on top of state programs, so more families will hold scholarship money in 2027 than today. See which states opted in.
Sources: IRS, participating states (September 14, 2026); Ballotpedia, state participation
Put the next application window in your calendar
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November 15, 2026 Florida FES / FTC: Last day for new 2026-27 Private School and Unique Abilities Scholarship applications.
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