School choice means different things to different people. To AFC, school choice means allowing parents to select the best schools for their children—public or private. School choice includes school vouchers, scholarship tax credit programs, education savings account programs, public charter schools, virtual charter schools, and meaningful public school choice. Learn more about general program types and student eligibility–state-level program details will vary state to state.
— SHARON CHAVEZ, AFC FELLOW
Voucher programs allow education dollars to “follow the child,” enabling parents to select private schools and receive state-funded scholarships to pay tuition. These scholarships are usually targeted to students who come from low-income families, have special needs or currently attend a failing public school. Research has demonstrated that vouchers increase student achievement, boost graduation rates, and help public schools improve. They also lead to high parental satisfaction rates.
| STATE | PROGRAM | YEARS ENACTED | STUDENTS | ANNUAL FUNDING |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | Succeed Scholarship Program | 2015 | 167 | $1,030,115 |
| District of Columbia | D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program | 2004 | 1,653 | $18,000,000 |
| Florida | John M. McKay Scholarship for Students With Disabilities Program | 1999 | 31,044 | $220,435,516 |
| Georgia | Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program | 2007 | 4,442 | $29,025,673 |
| Indiana | Choice Scholarship Program | 2011 | 35,458 | $153,967,952 |
| Louisiana | Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program | 2008 | 6,909 | $42,500,000 |
| Louisiana | School Choice Program For Certain Students With Exceptionalities | 2010 | 391 | $1,000,000 |
| Maryland | Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) Program | 2016 | 2,646 | $6,086,897 |
| Mississippi | Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship | 2012 | 212 | $1,040,712 |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship For Students With Speech-Language Impairments Program | 2013 | 0 | $0 |
| North Carolina | Children With Disabilities Scholarship Grants | 2013 | 1,251 | $8,102,780 |
| North Carolina | Opportunity Scholarship Program | 2013 | 7,371 | $28,058,656 |
| Ohio | Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program | 1995 | 7,688 | $37,512,928 |
| Ohio | Autism Scholarship Program | 2003 | 3,666 | $81,247,167 |
| Ohio | Educational Choice Scholarship Program | 2005 | 22,637 | $102,688,259 |
| Ohio | Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program | 2011 | 5,604 | $48,184,899 |
| Ohio | Income-Based Scholarship Program | 2013 | 9,512 | $31,021,124 |
| Oklahoma | Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship For Students With Disabilities Program | 2010 | 645 | $3,740,187 |
| Puerto Rico | Free Selection of Schools | 2018 | 0 | $1 |
| Utah | Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship | 2005 | 978 | $5,042,836 |
| Wisconsin | Milwaukee Parental Choice Program | 1990 | 28,702 | $201,900,000 |
| Wisconsin | Racine Parental Choice Program | 2011 | 3,007 | $18,000,000 |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Parental Choice Program | 2013 | 4,540 | $22,300,000 |
| Wisconsin | Special Needs Scholarship Program | 2015 | 246 | $2,578,800 |
| STATE | PROGRAM | ADMINISTRATIVE | FINANCIAL | ACADEMIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | Succeed Scholarship Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination |
Proof of Financial Viability | Standardized Assessments |
| District of Columbia | D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Annual Financial Reporting Proof of Financial Viability |
Standardized Assessments Public Reporting of Results Independent Evaluation |
| Florida | John M. McKay Scholarship for Students With Disabilities Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Proof of Financial Viability | |
| Georgia | Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination |
Proof of Financial Viability | |
| Indiana | Choice Scholarship Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Annual Financial Reporting | Standardized Assessments Public Reporting of Results Independent Evaluation |
| Louisiana | Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Annual Financial Reporting | Standardized Assessments Public Reporting of Results Independent Evaluation |
| Louisiana | School Choice Program For Certain Students With Exceptionalities | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination |
||
| Maryland | Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination |
Standardized Assessments Public Reporting of Results |
|
| Mississippi | Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Annual Financial Reporting | |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship For Students With Speech-Language Impairments Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Annual Financial Reporting | |
| North Carolina | Children With Disabilities Scholarship Grants | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination |
||
| North Carolina | Opportunity Scholarship Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Annual Financial Reporting | Standardized Assessments Public Reporting of Results Independent Evaluation |
| Ohio | Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Standardized Assessments | |
| Ohio | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Annual Financial Reporting | ||
| Ohio | Educational Choice Scholarship Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Standardized Assessments Public Reporting of Results Independent Evaluation |
|
| Ohio | Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Annual Financial Reporting | Standardized Assessments |
| Ohio | Income-Based Scholarship Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Standardized Assessments Public Reporting of Results |
|
| Oklahoma | Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship For Students With Disabilities Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination |
Proof of Financial Viability | |
| Puerto Rico | Free Selection of Schools | |||
| Utah | Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Annual Financial Reporting Proof of Financial Viability |
Standardized Assessments |
| Wisconsin | Milwaukee Parental Choice Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Annual Financial Reporting Proof of Financial Viability |
Standardized Assessments Public Reporting of Results Independent Evaluation |
| Wisconsin | Racine Parental Choice Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Annual Financial Reporting Proof of Financial Viability |
Standardized Assessments Public Reporting of Results |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Parental Choice Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Annual Financial Reporting Proof of Financial Viability |
Standardized Assessments Public Reporting of Results |
| Wisconsin | Special Needs Scholarship Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Annual Financial Reporting Proof of Financial Viability |
Education savings account programs create personal accounts that store a child’s state education dollars. With ESAs, parents can use education dollars to pay for school tuition and fees, textbooks, tutoring and special therapies and other approved expenses, so a child’s education is truly customizable. Participating families are able to choose the best education for their children through multiple providers.
| STATE | PROGRAM | YEARS ENACTED | STUDENTS | ANNUAL FUNDING |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program | 2011 | 4,660 | $50,281,630 |
| Florida | The Gardiner Scholarship Program | 2014 | 10,153 | $105,300,000 |
| Mississippi | Equal Opportunity For Students With Special Needs | 2015 | 356 | $1,999,156 |
| Nevada | Nevada Educational Savings Account Program | 2015 | 0 | $0 |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Personal Education Savings Account Program | 2017 | 0 | $0 |
| Tennessee | Individualized Education Account Program | 2015 | 88 | $0 |
| Tennessee | Education Savings Account | 2019 | 0 | $0 |
| STATE | PROGRAM | SGO ADMINISTRATIVE & FINANCIAL | SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE & FINANCIAL | ACADEMIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program | Nondiscrimination | Annual Audits (Random Sample) | |
| Florida | The Gardiner Scholarship Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Standardized Assessments | |
| Mississippi | Equal Opportunity For Students With Special Needs | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
||
| Nevada | Nevada Educational Savings Account Program | Health & Safety | Proof of Financial Viability Annual Audits (Random Sample) |
|
| North Carolina | North Carolina Personal Education Savings Account Program | Health & Safety | Annual Audits (Random Sample) | |
| Tennessee | Individualized Education Account Program | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks |
Standardized Assessments | |
| Tennessee | Education Savings Account |
Scholarship tax credit programs create new pools of funding so that children can receive scholarships to attend the private schools of their parents’ choice. Corporations and individuals make private donations to nonprofit organizations that provide scholarships to eligible children. In return, the corporations and individuals receive a state income tax credit. There are 21 scholarship tax credit programs operating across the country, and research has demonstrated that these programs are positive for student achievement and save money for state and local governments.
| STATE | PROGRAM | YEARS ENACTED | STUDENTS | ANNUAL FUNDING |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Tax Credits For Contributions To Scholarship Granting Organizations | 2013 | 4,181 | $29,699,374 |
| Arizona | Individual School Tuition Organization Tax Credit | 1997 | 52,554 | $105,300,000 |
| Arizona | Low Income Corporate School Tuition Organization Tax Credit | 2006 | 20,076 | $51,597,804 |
| Arizona | Lexie’s Law | 2009 | 936 | $5,000,000 |
| Florida | Florida Tax Credit Scholarship | 2001 | 108,098 | $631,100,000 |
| Georgia | Georgia Scholarship Tax Credit | 2008 | 13,243 | $53,438,854 |
| Illinois | Invest in Kids Program | 2017 | 0 | $42,180,419 |
| Illinois | Invest in Kids Scholarship Tax Credit Program | 2017 | 0 | $42,180,417 |
| Indiana | Corporate and Individual Scholarship Tax Credit Program | 2009 | 499,744 | $24,957,592 |
| Iowa | Individual and Corporate School Tuition Organization Tax Credit | 2006 | 10,752 | $18,461,866 |
| Kansas | Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program | 2014 | 281 | $4,159,881 |
| Louisiana | Louisiana Tuition Donation Rebate Program | 2012 | 2,018 | $7,005,905 |
| Montana | Tax Credits For Contribution To Student Scholarship Organizations | 2015 | 39 | $29,950 |
| Nevada | Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program | 2015 | 2,083 | $26,050,000 |
| New Hampshire | Education Tax Credit Program | 2012 | 332 | $713,091 |
| Oklahoma | Equal Opportunity Education Scholarships | 2011 | 2,435 | $4,611,511 |
| Pennsylvania | Educational Improvement Tax Credit | 2001 | 34,433 | $62,100,000 |
| Pennsylvania | Educational Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit | 2012 | 14,556 | $44,213,700 |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island Corporate Scholarship Tax Credit | 2006 | 433 | $1,588,537 |
| South Carolina | Educational Credit For Exceptional Needs Children | 2013 | 1,951 | $10,000,000 |
| South Carolina | The Partners in Education Tax Credit Program | 2016 | 480 | $325,000 |
| Virginia | Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits | 2012 | 3,258 | $10,183,623 |
| STATE | PROGRAM | YEARS ENACTED | STUDENTS | ANNUAL FUNDING |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Tax Credits For Contributions To Scholarship Granting Organizations | Background Checks (SGO) Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting |
Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks (School) Proof of Financial Viability |
Standardized Assessments Public Reporting of Results |
| Arizona | Individual School Tuition Organization Tax Credit | Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting |
Health & Safety Nondiscrimination |
|
| Arizona | Low Income Corporate School Tuition Organization Tax Credit | Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting |
Health & Safety Nondiscrimination |
|
| Arizona | Lexie’s Law | Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting |
Health & Safety Nondiscrimination |
|
| Florida | Florida Tax Credit Scholarship | Background Checks (SGO) Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting |
Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks (School) Proof of Financial Viability |
Standardized Assessments Public Reporting of Results |
| Georgia | Georgia Scholarship Tax Credit | Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting |
Health & Safety Nondiscrimination |
|
| Illinois | Invest in Kids Program | Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting |
Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks (School) |
Standardized Assessments Public Reporting of Results Independent Evaluation |
| Illinois | Invest in Kids Scholarship Tax Credit Program | |||
| Indiana | Corporate and Individual Scholarship Tax Credit Program | Background Checks (SGO) Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting |
Health & Safety Nondiscrimination |
Standardized Assessments Public Reporting of Results |
| Iowa | Individual and Corporate School Tuition Organization Tax Credit | Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting |
Health & Safety Nondiscrimination |
Standardized Assessments |
| Kansas | Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program | Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting |
||
| Louisiana | Louisiana Tuition Donation Rebate Program | Background Checks (SGO) Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting |
Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks (School) Proof of Financial Viability |
Standardized Assessments Public Reporting of Results |
| Montana | Tax Credits For Contribution To Student Scholarship Organizations | Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting | Health & Safety | Standardized Assessments Public Reporting of Results |
| Nevada | Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program | Background Checks (SGO) Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting |
Health & Safety | Standardized Assessments Public Reporting of Results |
| New Hampshire | Education Tax Credit Program | Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting | ||
| Oklahoma | Equal Opportunity Education Scholarships | Background Checks (SGO) Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting |
Health & Safety Nondiscrimination |
|
| Pennsylvania | Educational Improvement Tax Credit | Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting |
Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks (School) |
|
| Pennsylvania | Educational Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit | Background Checks (SGO) Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting |
Health & Safety Nondiscrimination |
|
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island Corporate Scholarship Tax Credit | Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination Background Checks (School) |
|
| South Carolina | Educational Credit For Exceptional Needs Children | Annual Financial Reporting | Health & Safety Nondiscrimination |
Standardized Assessments |
| South Carolina | The Partners in Education Tax Credit Program | Background Checks (SGO) Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting |
Health & Safety Nondiscrimination |
Standardized Assessments |
| Virginia | Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits | Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting |
Health & Safety Nondiscrimination |
Standardized Assessments Public Reporting of Results |
Individual tuition tax credits can be used for a child’s educational expenses, including private school tuition, and help families choose educational tools they otherwise could not afford. “Of significant size,” or approximately $3,000 to $6,000 is key to ensuring that the credit is large enough to affect a family’s decision and ability to cover the costs of private school.
| STATE | PROGRAM | YEARS ENACTED | STUDENTS | ANNUAL FUNDING |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Parent Refundable Tax Credits | 2013 | 145 | $351,140 |
| Florida | Hope Scholarship Program | 2018 | 0 | $0 |
| South Carolina | Refundable Tuition Credit For Exceptional Needs Children | 2015 | 0 | $0 |
These schools are allowed to determine many of their own policies and practices and they are not allowed to charge tuition. 45 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws allowing for the creation of public charter schools. Magnet schools, permitted in each of the 50 states, are public schools operated by school districts (or groups of school districts) that allow kids to focus on a specific learning track, such as STEM, medical science, or performing arts. These schools are free to attend and there are more than 4,000 magnet schools across the country. In some states, there are no freestanding magnet schools, but there are magnet programs available in traditional public schools.
Special needs scholarship programs are private school choice programs designed specifically for students with special needs. These programs allow students to attend a public or private school that can address their specific learning needs.
Twenty of the nation’s fifty private school choice programs are specifically designed to serve students with special needs.
Means-tested programs are designed to empower students from low-income families to attend the school of their parents’ choice. These programs provide access to quality educational options that low-income families would not otherwise have.
Means-preferenced programs give preference to students from low-income families by serving them first, while also allowing students from working class and middle income families to participate.
Twenty-seven of the nation’s fifty private school choice programs are either means-tested or means-preferenced.
Universal eligibility programs allow every child, with no restrictions such as income or prior public school attendance, the opportunity to receive a scholarship to attend the school of his or her parent’s choice. Two of the nation’s fifty private school choice programs have universal eligibility. One additional program is near universal – students from families of all income levels are eligible, unless they already attend private school.
Failing schools programs help students stuck in or assigned to persistently low-and-under-performing public schools. These programs allow students to attend the private or public school of their parents’ choice, providing immediate educational options to students. Eight of the nation’s fifty private school choice programs are failing schools programs.
