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Kansas Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program

Tax-credit scholarship. Up to $8,000 per student per year.

181 private schools listed in Kansas
136 confirmed on the official list

Income limitsHow to applyTuition calculator

How TCLISS works

What you getUp to $8,000 per student per year. Each scholarship organization sets the amount. EdChoice reports an average of $3,065 in 2023-24.
Who qualifiesKansas children in families at or below 250% of the federal poverty guidelines who attended a Kansas public school in grades K-8 the year before, or who are 7 or younger and eligible to enroll. A student who has received a scholarship stays eligible until graduation or age 21.
How full it isEdChoice counted 2,360 students in 2023-24. The state reports 130 participating schools in 2023-24 and 15 certified scholarship organizations in its May 2026 directory. Donor credits are capped at $10 million a year.
When to applyParents submit an application that goes to a scholarship organization and to the Kansas State Department of Education, which confirms eligibility.
How the money movesBy law the scholarship organization pays the school, by check made out to both the parent and the school or to the school alone. If a student changes schools during the year, the money is split by attendance.
What it coversTuition, fees and expenses at a qualified school, plus transportation if the school provides it. Schools must be accredited or working toward it.
Federal tax credit, 2027Kansas 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.

Worth knowing: A small program: awards depend on donations under a $10 million yearly credit cap. A first scholarship is limited to students coming from public school or starting school.

We read this on from: Kansas State Department of Education, program page and school list; Kansas Legislative Research Department, Briefing Book 2026; K.S.A. 72-4352, definitions; K.S.A. 72-4354, how scholarships are paid. Rules change when the legislature meets, so check the official program site before you count on a number.

Related programs

Is there an income limit for TCLISS?

250% of the federal poverty guidelines, 2026-27 (the law uses the guidelines HHS publishes each year). Annual family income must be at or below 250% of the federal poverty guidelines when a scholarship is first sought, and a student who has received a scholarship stays eligible until high school graduation or age 21. The Kansas State Department of Education publishes no dollar table; families report household size and income on its online application. Source.

Who goes first. State law sets no priority order. Each scholarship organization decides its awards, and it may keep funding a student who was eligible the year before.

How to apply for TCLISS

  1. Check that your child qualifies: a Kansas resident with family income at or below 250% of the federal poverty guidelines who, for a first scholarship, attended a Kansas public school in kindergarten to 8th grade last year or is 7 or younger and eligible to enroll in public school.
  2. Pick a participating private school and a certified scholarship organization that works with it, using the Kansas State Department of Education lists.
  3. Complete the Department's TCLISSP online application: your child's details and assigned public school, the private school and scholarship organization you chose, a household size and income survey, and consent to share records.
  4. The Department confirms in writing to the scholarship organization whether your child is eligible. This step is skipped for children under 6.
  5. The scholarship organization decides the award and pays the school, either with a check made out to you and the school together or to the school alone.

What to have ready

  • Household size and total annual income (household economic survey on the application)
  • Name of the public school district and school your child is assigned to, and the last grade completed
  • Signed consent to share your child's records with the scholarship organization and the Department

Go to the official application

Steps and limits read on from: Kansas State Department of Education, Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program; Kansas State Department of Education, TCLISSP Online Application; K.S.A. 72-4352, definitions; K.S.A. 72-4353, eligibility verification and $8,000 limit; K.S.A. 72-4354, scholarship organization rules and payments; Kansas State Department of Education, Certified Scholarship Granting Organizations (May 12, 2026); Kansas Legislative Research Department, Briefing Book 2026. Limits change each year with the federal poverty guidelines, so confirm on the official site before you apply.

Run your own numbers

What would you pay?

We could not confirm this year’s TCLISS amount, so type in the figure from your award letter. An award can never be more than the school actually charges. This is arithmetic, not a quote.

Which schools take it

The Kansas State Department of Education publishes a spreadsheet of participating qualified schools (updated March 2026) and a PDF of certified scholarship organizations dated May 12, 2026. Schools marked with the badge here appear on that spreadsheet; we match by school name and city, or by a name that appears only once in the state.

136 schools on the TCLISS list, by town Browse private schools in Kansas The state’s own list

Get one email when applications open

Most programs open once a year, and several ran out of money or seats in 2026. Pick your state and we will email you the day the next window opens, with the official link. That is the only email you get.

One email per application window. No calls, no sharing your details.

Questions parents ask

How much does TCLISS pay in Kansas?

Up to $8,000 per student per year. Each scholarship organization sets the amount. EdChoice reports an average of $3,065 in 2023-24.

Who is eligible?

Kansas children in families at or below 250% of the federal poverty guidelines who attended a Kansas public school in grades K-8 the year before, or who are 7 or younger and eligible to enroll. A student who has received a scholarship stays eligible until graduation or age 21.

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 TCLISS?

The Kansas State Department of Education publishes a spreadsheet of participating qualified schools (updated March 2026) and a PDF of certified scholarship organizations dated May 12, 2026. Schools marked with the badge here appear on that spreadsheet; we match by school name and city, or by a name that appears only once in the state.

When do I apply?

Parents submit an application that goes to a scholarship organization and to the Kansas State Department of Education, which confirms eligibility.

Can a child already in private school apply?

Only in limited cases. A first scholarship requires that the child attended a Kansas public school in kindergarten to 8th grade the year before, or is 7 or younger and eligible to enroll in public school.

Do we have to qualify again every year?

Once a student has received a scholarship, the student stays eligible until high school graduation or age 21. A scholarship organization may continue a scholarship for a student who was eligible the year before; ask your organization how it handles renewals.

How much can my child get?

No more than $8,000 per school year in total, from all scholarship organizations combined. Each organization sets its own amounts.

What does the scholarship pay for?

Tuition, fees and expenses at a qualified school, plus transportation if the school provides it. A qualified school must be accredited or working toward accreditation and must have told the state it is participating.

What if my child changes schools during the year?

The scholarship is split between the old and new private school based on attendance. If the child moves to a public school after September 20, a prorated share goes to the public school district as a donation.

Other states

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