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The Indiana Choice Scholarship is the state's private school voucher program, and beginning with the 2026-27 school year it is universal, meaning all Indiana K-12 students are eligible regardless of household income. The award covers private school tuition and fees, calculated as the lesser of the school's tuition or 90 percent of the state per-student funding for the student's home district, with an average award of about $6,500. The Indiana Department of Education oversees the program, families apply through their chosen participating school, and the 2026-27 application is open now.
Here is how eligibility changed, how much the voucher is worth, and how to apply.
Indiana launched the Choice Scholarship in 2011, making it one of the oldest voucher programs in the country. For years it carried income limits, most recently 400 percent of the federal free and reduced-price lunch threshold. That changed when Governor Mike Braun signed the state budget in May 2025, removing income eligibility for the 2026-27 school year and after.
Under the new rules, a student needs to be an Indiana resident with legal settlement in the state, between ages 5 and 22 by October 1, and entering kindergarten through grade 12. There is no longer an income test, and there is no requirement to have attended public school first. The program had already served more than 76,000 students at 373 participating private schools in 2024-25, spending roughly $497 million on tuition grants before universal eligibility took effect, so demand for seats is strong and top schools fill quickly.
The award is not a flat figure. Each Choice Scholarship equals the lesser of the tuition and fees the participating school reports, or 90 percent of the state per-student tuition support amount for the student's district of legal settlement. Because district funding varies, so does the award, with estimated amounts commonly in the range of roughly $6,100 to $7,500 and an average around $6,500 in recent years.
The first award covers a full school year when families apply in the first window. A second-window award covers half a year for students who enroll after the first deadline. The state pays scholarship money directly to schools, and as of July 2025 it disburses in four payments across the year rather than two, which spreads the funding more evenly for participating schools.
Because the amount is tied to the student's home district, two families at different schools can receive different awards for the same tuition bill, so it helps to check the state's estimated award document for your district before enrolling. The award also cannot exceed a school's actual tuition and fees, which means at a lower-cost school the voucher may cover the full amount while at a higher-cost school it covers part. The expansion to universal eligibility is estimated to add about $93 million in state cost, and because top schools filled quickly even under the old income limits, families interested in a competitive seat benefit from starting the search and the first-window application without delay. Confirming a school's tuition and available seats directly is also worth the call, since the voucher does not guarantee admission and each school sets its own enrollment process.
Unlike an education savings account, the Choice Scholarship is applied for through the school, not a state family portal.
Step 1: Choose a participating school. The school must be an Indiana Department of Education approved Choice School, which teaches core subjects and instruction on the U.S. and Indiana Constitutions while keeping autonomy over its own program.
Step 2: Provide documentation to the school. The school submits your application through a secure state system using the information you supply.
Step 3: Apply in the right window. For 2026-27, the first period runs March 1 to September 1, 2026, and produces a full-year award. The second period runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027, and produces a half-year award.
Step 4: Reapply each year. Students must reapply annually and continue to meet the requirements. Because the first-period window is open now, families who want a full-year award should start the school selection process without delay.
A voucher pays for a seat, but the qualities of that seat vary widely, and class size is one dimension parents can weigh. A Campbell systematic review by Filges and colleagues (2018) synthesized studies from dozens of countries and found that smaller classes were associated with a small positive effect on reading achievement, with mixed results in mathematics. The honest reading is that class size is one factor among many rather than a guarantee, but the mechanism is intuitive: in a smaller room, a teacher can notice sooner when a child is stuck and respond before a gap widens. That kind of individual attention is worth asking about when comparing schools the voucher can pay for.
Score Academy Online is a Cognia-accredited, NCAA-approved online private school serving grades K-12, with live certified teachers, individualized education plans, and synchronous classes capped at six students in middle and high school and four in elementary. The accreditation page documents the school's Cognia and NCAA status.
Because Choice Scholarship funds flow only to Indiana Department of Education approved Choice Schools, families should confirm the current participating-school list with the department before directing funds; Score Academy Online is pursuing approved-provider status across active school choice states as programs expand. The affordability picture is worth knowing regardless of participation status. The school's per-course tuition runs from $415 for self-paced courses to $2,500 for live high school courses, which keeps a full accredited curriculum within reach of families paying directly and well below many private day school tuitions. Rolling enrollment lets a student start any time rather than waiting on a semester boundary, the college outcomes page documents a 100% college acceptance rate and $14.2 million in scholarships earned, and the school choice hub compares Indiana's program with options in other states.
Program rules, award amounts, and timelines change. Confirm current requirements with the Indiana Department of Education before making final enrollment decisions.
How much is the Indiana Choice Scholarship worth? Each award equals the lesser of the school's tuition and fees or 90 percent of the state per-student funding for the student's district. Amounts commonly range from about $6,100 to $7,500, averaging around $6,500.
Is there still an income limit? No. Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, income limits were removed and all Indiana K-12 residents are eligible, with no requirement to have attended public school first.
When can I apply for 2026-27? The first application period runs March 1 to September 1, 2026, and produces a full-year award. A second period runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027, for a half-year award.
How do I apply? You apply through your chosen participating school, which submits the application to the state. Confirm a school is an approved Choice School before enrolling.
How are funds paid? The state pays scholarship money directly to the school, disbursed in four payments across the school year.
Do I have to reapply every year? Yes. Students must reapply annually and continue to meet residency and eligibility requirements to keep the voucher.
The West Virginia Hope Scholarship is now universal, worth about $5,436 per student. See eligibility, approved expenses, deadlines, and how to apply.
The Iowa school voucher program, the Students First ESA, is universal and worth $8,148 for 2026-27. See eligibility, approved expenses, and how to apply.
The Arkansas Education Freedom Account is universal for 2026-27, worth about $7,200. See EFA eligibility, approved expenses, priority windows, and how to apply.