Indiana Choice Scholarship
Scholarship. About $6,000 to $8,300, set by your home school district.
- Award
- About $6,000 to $8,300, set by your home school district
- Read
- Who qualifies
- Any Indiana resident age 5 to 21 accepted at a participating school.
- Read
- Next date
- Half-year application period (spring semester); the school files for you: November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027.
- Read · all deadlines
- Half-year application period (spring semester); the school files for you: opens (passed) source
- Half-year application period (spring semester); the school files for you: closes source
Each date read on the official page linked beside it (in.gov), checked .
Schools that take Choice Scholarship Deadlines by state Homeschooling in Indiana All 642 private schools in Indiana
How Choice Scholarship works
Checked against the program's own pages on
| What you get | About $6,000 to $8,300, set by your home school district. These are the state’s 2026-27 estimates. The award is the lesser of that figure or the school’s tuition and fees. |
|---|---|
| Who qualifies | Any Indiana resident age 5 to 21 accepted at a participating school. Lawmakers removed the income limit effective July 2026. |
| How full it is | 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. |
| When to apply | The school files the application for you. The main period runs March 1 to September 1, and a half-year period runs November 1 to January 15. |
| How the money moves | The state pays the school. |
| What it covers | Tuition and fees at a participating private school. |
| Federal tax credit, 2027 | Indiana is on the IRS list of states that opted in to the federal scholarship tax credit (as of September 14, 2026), so scholarship organizations here can take federally credited gifts from January 2027. |
We read this on from: Indiana Department of Education, Choice Scholarship; IDOE, 2026-27 estimated award amounts; IDOE, Choice Scholarship annual report 2025-26 (participation). Rules change when the legislature meets, so check the official program site before you count on a number.
Is there an income limit for Choice Scholarship?
Choice Scholarship
Beginning July 1, 2026, any student age 5 to 21 with legal settlement in Indiana can use a Choice Scholarship at a participating school, and income does not change the award, which is the lesser of tuition and fees or the amount set for the student's home public school district. Source.
School Scholarship (SGO tax-credit scholarship)
400% of the income level for federal free and reduced price lunch, current IDOE rule (school year not stated on the page). Scholarships from state-certified scholarship granting organizations go to Indiana students in pre-K through grade 12 in households with income of not more than 400% of the free and reduced price lunch level, and each SGO may add its own requirements. Source.
Apply for Choice Scholarship: how it works
- Choose a school from the Indiana Department of Education list of 2026-27 participating Choice schools.
- Enroll your child at that school and tell the school you want to apply for a Choice Scholarship.
- Give the school the documentation of eligibility it asks for; the school submits the application with your information through a password-protected IDOE website that only Choice school administrators can use.
- Applications approved between March 1 and September 1 receive a full-year award; applications approved between November 1 and January 15 receive a half-year award.
- If your child is approved, the school gives you a copy of the award letter with the estimated award amount; keep it for your records.
Go to the official application
Steps and limits read on from: Indiana Department of Education, Choice Scholarship Program; IDOE, Choice Scholarship estimated award amounts 2026-2027; IDOE, 2025-2026 Choice Scholarship Program annual report; IDOE, 2026-2027 participating Choice schools; IDOE, School Scholarships (SGO tax credit program); IDOE, Choice Scholarship FAQ 2024-2025; IDOE, Education Scholarship Account; IDOE, Education Scholarship Accounts FAQ (2026-2027). Limits change each year with the federal poverty guidelines, so confirm on the official site before you apply.
Which schools take it
List read October 26, 2026, checked October 28, 2026
Schools marked here appear on the 2026-27 participating schools sheet published by the Indiana Department of Education.
Choice Scholarship award $6,033 to $8,329Award covers the listed priceListed price is higher
The award covers the full listed price at 6 of 30 schools with a verified 2026-27 price.
Prices from each school’s own website, read in October 2026: the lowest listed grade band, fees not included. Award from Indiana Department of Education, Choice Scholarship estimated award amounts 2026-27, read October 9, 2026. The state's Period 1 estimates, set by the student's home school district: the lowest and highest district. The award is the lesser of that amount or tuition and fees.
How far a scholarship goes, state by state.
The share of private schools on each state's list, Indiana included.
425 schools on the Choice Scholarship list, by town Browse private schools in Indiana The state’s own list
- Private schools in Indianapolis (106 nearby)
- Private schools in Fort Wayne (46 nearby)
- Private schools in Goshen (42 nearby)
- Private schools in South Bend (39 nearby)
- Private schools in Mishawaka (35 nearby)
- Private schools in Crown Point (34 nearby)
- Private schools in Middlebury (33 nearby)
- Private schools in Carmel (31 nearby)
- Private schools in Whitestown (27 nearby)
- Private schools in Highland (25 nearby)
- Private schools in Schererville (23 nearby)
- Private schools in Evansville (20 nearby)
- Private schools in Newburgh (20 nearby)
- Private schools in Dyer (19 nearby)
- Private schools in Lagrange (19 nearby)
- Private schools in Montgomery (19 nearby)
- Private schools in Loogootee (17 nearby)
- Private schools in Merrillville (17 nearby)
Related programs
Run your own numbers
What would you pay?
Enter amounts of $0 or more.
Choice Scholarship pays between $6,033 and $8,329 depending on where you live and other factors. We start with the lower figure. Change it if you know yours. An award can never be more than the school actually charges. This is arithmetic, not a quote.
Approved providers: tutors, therapists and more
494 businesses on the Indiana Department of Education list of approved Indiana Education Scholarship Account (ESA) providers (dated August 31, 2026), by category and town. Individual tutors and therapists on the list are not shown here.
Published tuition at schools on the Choice Scholarship list
Prices read on the schools' own websites, October 1, 2026 to October 11, 2026
We verified published tuition at 44 of the 425 schools on the list: prices run from $3,800 to $29,998 a year, and the middle price is $9,720, using each school’s lowest published rate. Compare that with the award above to see what a family might still owe.
| School | Town | Published tuition | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cathedral High School | Indianapolis | $19,650 | 2027-28 |
| Bishop Dwenger High School | Fort Wayne | $12,478 | 2026-27 |
| St. Joseph High School | South Bend | $12,675 | 2026-27 |
| Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School | Indianapolis | $23,710 | 2026-27 |
| Concordia Lutheran High School | Fort Wayne | $11,770 | 2026-27 |
| Suburban Christian School | Indianapolis | $7,500 | not stated |
| Illiana Christian High School | Dyer | $14,124 | 2026-27 |
| Bishop Luers High School | Fort Wayne | $11,965 | 2026-27 |
| Highland Christian School | Highland | $9,590 | 2026-27 |
| Bethesda Christian Schools | Brownsburg | $10,000 to $13,800 | 2026-27 |
| Mater Dei High School | Evansville | $14,014 | not stated |
| Andrean High School | Merrillville | $11,750 | 2025-26 |
| St. Joseph Grade School | South Bend | $8,850 | 2026-27 |
| Indianapolis Christian School | Indianapolis | $13,150 | 2026-27 |
| School of Knowledge | Indianapolis | $9,000 | not stated |
| Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School | Indianapolis | $10,600 | 2026-27 |
| Covenant Christian High School | Indianapolis | $16,750 | 2026-27 |
| St. John Evangelist School | Saint John | $9,400 | 2026-27 |
| Concordia Lutheran School | Fort Wayne | $7,495 | 2026-27 |
| University High School of Indiana | Carmel | $29,998 | 2026-27 |
| Little Flower Catholic School | Indianapolis | $7,537 | 2025-26 |
| Holy Cross Elementary School | South Bend | $7,625 | 2025-26 |
| Horizon Christian School | Indianapolis | $9,850 to $11,700 | 2026-27 |
| Central Lutheran School | New Haven | $6,900 | 2025-26 |
| Indiana Christian Academy | Anderson | $7,600 | not stated |
| Trinity Lutheran School | Elkhart | $7,700 | not stated |
| Legacy Learning Center | Indianapolis | $8,500 | 2026-27 |
| Evansville Day School | Evansville | $20,500 | 2026-27 |
| Colonial Christian School | Indianapolis | $7,700 | 2026-27 |
| Providence Cristo Rey High School | Indianapolis | $27,900 | 2026-27 |
Showing the 30 largest by enrollment of 44. Each figure was read on that school’s own website and is linked on its page. These are the schools we have verified so far, mostly larger ones, so treat them as a guide, not an average. Private school tuition across Indiana, school by school.
Put the next Choice Scholarship window in your calendar
Most programs open once a year, and several ran out of money or seats in 2026. Pick your state's program to add its next dated window to your own calendar, with the official link, or subscribe to every program's dates.
Open now, until January 15, 2027 Indiana Choice Scholarship: Half-year application period (spring semester); the school files for you.
Every program's dates in one calendar that updates when we confirm new dates: subscribe in Google Calendar · subscribe in Apple Calendar or Outlook · all deadlines
Free. Nothing to sign up for: the calendar file is made in your browser and nothing is sent to us. Dates can change, so confirm on the official site.
Questions families ask
These are questions people search for about Choice Scholarship. Each answer is our short summary of the official page linked under it.
How much is the Choice Scholarship in Indiana?
It depends on your home school district and on the school's price. In 2025-26, 61,283 students received 90% of their home district's per-pupil funding. The other 19,265 received their school's tuition and fees instead, because those came to less; their average tuition was $6,583.12.
Source: Indiana Department of Education, Choice Scholarship Program annual report 2025-26. Checked .
Questions parents ask
Answers with a source line are short summaries of the program document named under them. Follow the link for the full wording.
How much does Choice Scholarship pay in Indiana?
About $6,000 to $8,300, set by your home school district. These are the state’s 2026-27 estimates. The award is the lesser of that figure or the school’s tuition and fees.
Who is eligible?
Any Indiana resident age 5 to 21 accepted at a participating school. Lawmakers removed the income limit effective July 2026.
Does it cover the full cost of private school?
Not always. The award is a set amount and every school sets its own price. Ask each school for tuition plus fees, then subtract the award. The calculator on this page does the sum for you.
How do I know a school accepts Choice Scholarship?
Schools marked here appear on the 2026-27 participating schools sheet published by the Indiana Department of Education.
When do I apply?
The school files the application for you. The main period runs March 1 to September 1, and a half-year period runs November 1 to January 15.
How do I apply for Choice Scholarship?
Choose a school from the Indiana Department of Education list of 2026-27 participating Choice schools. The 5 steps are listed under “Apply for Choice Scholarship” on this page, with the documents to have ready.
Is there an income limit for 2026-27?
No. IDOE says the income cap was removed in May 2025, and beginning July 1, 2026 all students age 5 to 21 with legal settlement in Indiana may use a Choice Scholarship at a participating school.
How much is the scholarship?
It is the lesser of the school's tuition and fees or the amount listed for your home public school district, which is 90% of per-student state funding. IDOE's 2026-27 estimates range from $6,033.32 to $8,328.56 for a full year.
Does a higher income mean a smaller award?
No. The award formula is the lesser of tuition and fees or the district amount, with no income factor.
What if we miss the September 1 deadline?
A second application period runs November 1 to January 15. Applications approved in that period receive a half-year award, half of the full-year amount.
Can my child switch Choice schools during the year?
Yes. The second application period lets a student who transfers from one Choice school to another apply at the new school.
Can the school charge more than the scholarship?
Yes. In IDOE's 2024-25 FAQ, the parent is responsible for tuition and fees beyond the award, but a Choice school may not charge Choice students fees it does not routinely charge other students.
Who qualifies for 2026-27?
A student who has legal settlement in Indiana and is at least 5 and under 22 by October 1 of the school year. From July 1, 2026 there is no income test, so any such student can use it at a participating school.
Source: Indiana Department of Education, 2025-2026 Choice Scholarship Program Annual Report, undated page, read October 7, 2026.
How do we apply?
Pick a participating Choice school and enroll your child there. You give the school proof of eligibility, and the school files the application for you through a state website only school staff can use.
Source: Indiana Department of Education, Indiana Choice Scholarship Program, page updated October 1, 2026.
Will we get the award in writing?
Yes. When the application is approved, the school gives you a copy of the award letter showing the estimated scholarship amount. Keep it for your records.
Source: Indiana Department of Education, Indiana Choice Scholarship Program, page updated October 1, 2026.
Which schools can take the scholarship?
Accredited Indiana elementary and high schools that charge tuition, agree to enroll Choice students and give the statewide test. Charter schools and your own public school district cannot.
Source: Indiana Department of Education, Indiana Choice Scholarship Program, page updated October 1, 2026.
Where do I find the amount for my district?
The state's award list shows a full year figure for each public school district, based on where your child has legal settlement. The half year figure for the second period is half of it. Your child gets that figure or the school's tuition and fees, whichever is lower.
Source: Indiana Department of Education, Choice Scholarship Program Estimated Award Amounts, 2026-2027 School Year, undated page, read October 7, 2026.
What if my child leaves the school partway through the year?
The award is cut to match the time your child was enrolled. Full amounts are paid only for students who stay all year.
Source: Indiana Department of Education, 2025-2026 Choice Scholarship Program Annual Report, undated page, read October 7, 2026.
What about special education services?
When the application is filed, the parent chooses either the Choice school or the public school district to provide special education services.
Source: Indiana Department of Education, 2025-2026 Choice Scholarship Program Annual Report, undated page, read October 7, 2026.
Is there help for pre-K or for families who want a private scholarship too?
Yes. Scholarship granting organizations, funded by donors who get a tax credit, give scholarships from pre-K through grade 12. A child must be at least 4 by August 1 and the household income no more than 400% of the free and reduced price lunch level. Each organization can add its own rules.
Source: Indiana Department of Education, School Scholarships (SGO tax credit program), page updated August 12, 2026.
School choice programs in every state: 33 of the 50 states and DC have a program that pays toward private school, compared side by side.