School vouchers: which states have them and what they pay
A school voucher pays a set amount of public money toward tuition at a participating private school. Most states call theirs a scholarship.
By our count of official sources, at least 13 states and DC run a school voucher program in 2026-27. In 9 it is the main state program we track.
States where the main program is a school voucher
| State | Program | What you get | Who qualifies |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program | Up to $10,000 for grades K to 8 and $15,000 for grades 9 to 12 (2026-27). | D.C. residents entering kindergarten through 12th grade whose family receives SNAP or earns no more than 185% of the poverty line. |
| Indiana | Indiana Choice Scholarship | About $6,000 to $8,300, set by your home school district. | Any Indiana resident age 5 to 21 accepted at a participating school. |
| Maine | Maine Town Tuitioning Program | Tuition paid by your school district, up to a state formula. | Students whose Maine school administrative unit neither runs a school for their grade nor contracts with a particular school for it. |
| Maryland | Maryland BOOST Scholarship | $1,200 to $4,750 in 2025-26, plus $3,000 for high school students. | Maryland students entering kindergarten through 12th grade whose household qualifies for free or reduced price school meals, enrolled or accepted at a participating nonpublic school. |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship | $3,574 to $7,942 per student, by household income. | Any North Carolina K-12 student at a participating private school. |
| Ohio | Ohio EdChoice Scholarship | $6,166 for grades K-8, $8,408 for grades 9-12. | Nearly every Ohio K-12 student outside the Cleveland district qualifies through EdChoice or EdChoice Expansion. |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarships | $7,530 per student for 2026-27. | Any Tennessee resident entitled to attend public school in kindergarten to 12th grade who is a U.S. citizen or lawfully present. |
| Vermont | Vermont Town Tuitioning | Tuition paid by your district. | Students who live in a district that does not operate a public school for their grade. |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Private School Choice Programs | $11,305 a year for grades K to 8 and $13,799 for grades 9 to 12 in 2026-27. | New students must be under an income limit. |
Each program page lists its sources. Facts read between October 1, 2026 and October 2, 2026. Amounts change each year, so check the official program site before you count on one.
Other school vouchers
States also run these, often for students with disabilities. Where we have a page, the link goes to it; otherwise it goes to the official source.
- Georgia: Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS)
- Louisiana: School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities
- Mississippi: Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship
- Mississippi: Nate Rogers Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship
- New Hampshire: Town tuitioning (RSA 193:3)
- Ohio: Autism Scholarship Program
- Ohio: Cleveland Scholarship Program
- Ohio: Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship
- Oklahoma: Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities
From our review of official sources, read between October 1, 2026 and October 5, 2026.
How vouchers differ from other school choice programs
| Type | How the money moves | Main program in | States with at least one |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education savings account (ESA) | The state puts money in an account the family directs, and the family pays the school and other approved providers, such as tutors and therapists, from it. | Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming | 17 states |
| School voucher (state scholarship) | Public money pays a set amount toward tuition at a participating private school. In Maine and Vermont town tuitioning, the home school district pays. | District of Columbia, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont and Wisconsin | 13 states and DC |
| Tax-credit scholarship | Donors give to nonprofit scholarship organizations and get a state tax credit. The organizations award the scholarships and set amounts within state law. | Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Virginia | 18 states |
| Refundable tax credit | The state gives the family an income tax credit for tuition and fees, paid even when the family owes no tax. | Idaho and Oklahoma | 4 states |
We group each program by how its money moves; a state can run more than one kind. Counts include the other programs listed on each hub and are a floor, not a census.
What school vouchers cover, state by state
| State | What it covers | How the money moves |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | Tuition, uniforms, books and other school fees at a participating school. | Checks go to the school 2 to 3 times a year, made out to the parent, who endorses them. |
| Indiana | Tuition and fees at a participating private school. | The state pays the school. |
| Maine | Tuition. | Your school administrative unit pays the school. The final amount is negotiated between the school and the unit. |
| Maryland | Tuition and required enrollment fees. Not transportation or meals. | The state mails a check to the school. The parent endorses it at the school office and it is applied to tuition. |
| North Carolina | Required tuition and fees only. It can never exceed what the school actually charges. | The state pays the school directly, twice a year. |
| Ohio | Tuition only. Schools cannot bill families at or below 200% of the poverty level for the difference. | The state pays the school. |
| Tennessee | Tuition and fees first; remaining funds may go to approved education expenses. A vendor marketplace is due to open October 19, 2026. | Money is released into the student’s account in the state’s online portal in four parts a year: 50% in August, 20% in October, 20% in January and 10% in March. The portal pays the school, and other approved purchases go through its Marketplace. Nothing is paid to the parent. |
| Vermont | Tuition only. | The sending district pays tuition to the school. |
| Wisconsin | Tuition. A Choice school cannot charge a Choice student tuition in grades K4 to 8, and cannot charge for registration, books or technology. In grades 9 to 12 a school may charge extra tuition only to families above the statewide income limit. | The state pays the school directly, four times a year. Parents never handle the money. |
How to apply
Each state runs its own application, and many take applications only in set windows. Note the dates below and set an alert on the state page.
| State | When to apply | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | Applications for 2027-28 are open now. The cycle runs from September to April or May. You must also apply to and be accepted by the school. | OSP explained Official site |
| Indiana | 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. | Choice Scholarship explained Official site |
| Maine | There is no state application. Families in a tuitioning town choose an approved school, and the school administrative unit pays the tuition. | Town tuitioning explained Official site |
| Maryland | The 2026-27 application ran March 9 to May 8, 2026 and is closed. The state keeps making offers as others decline until December 11, 2026. Expect a similar spring window for 2027-28. | BOOST explained Official site |
| North Carolina | The 2026-27 priority window ran February 2 to March 2, 2026. Expect early February again. | Opportunity Scholarship explained Official site |
| Ohio | The 2026-27 EdChoice application period runs February 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. Applications submitted after October 14, 2026 get a prorated award, so apply by October 14 for the full amount. The school submits the application. | EdChoice explained Official site |
| Tennessee | For 2026-27, renewals opened December 9, 2025, new applications opened January 13, 2026, and the window closed February 6, 2026 at 4 p.m. Central. Dates for 2027-28 are not posted yet. | EFS explained Official site |
| Vermont | There is no state application, but there are deadlines for the next school year: notice for an independent elementary school must reach the school board before April 15, and a request for a high school other than a designated one is due on or before April 15. Your district pays tuition to the eligible school. | Town tuitioning explained Official site |
| Wisconsin | You apply online to the school during its open months. For 2026-27 the periods ran February 2 to 20, then the 1st to the 20th of March, April, May, July and August, June 1 to 22, and September 1 to 14. Each school chooses which months it opens, so check with the school early in the year. Milwaukee schools can also take second semester applications from October to early January. | WI Choice explained Official site |
All dates in one place: every application window, with a calendar you can subscribe to.
Questions parents ask
Which states have school vouchers?
By our count of official sources (October 2026), at least 13 states and DC. District of Columbia, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont and Wisconsin run one as their main program, and Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire and Oklahoma run other school vouchers.
How much does a school voucher pay in each state?
District of Columbia: up to $10,000 for grades K to 8 and $15,000 for grades 9 to 12 (2026-27); Indiana: about $6,000 to $8,300, set by your home school district; Maine: tuition paid by your school district, up to a state formula; Maryland: $1,200 to $4,750 in 2025-26, plus $3,000 for high school students; North Carolina: $3,574 to $7,942 per student, by household income; Ohio: $6,166 for grades K-8, $8,408 for grades 9-12; Tennessee: $7,530 per student for 2026-27; Vermont: tuition paid by your district; Wisconsin: $11,305 a year for grades K to 8 and $13,799 for grades 9 to 12 in 2026-27.