Voucher

Ohio Traditional Educational Choice Scholarship Program

  • Enacted:
    2005
  • Launched:
    2006
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Program Stats

  • 96%

    Students Eligible

  • 96%

    Funded Eligibility

  • 42,600

    Participating Students (2024-25)

  • $6,036

    Average Account Value (year)

  • 42%

    Public School Funding

  • 494

    Schools

Program Summary

This voucher is available to K–12 students who meet one of a number of criteria. These include: living in certain qualifying school districts, having at least 20% of the students at their resident school district building qualify for Title I funds as calculated on a three-year average, being a foster child or residing in a foster home, and having received an Autism or Jon Peterson Scholarship in a prior year but no longer qualifying for one. Participants with incomes below 450% of the FPL receive a full scholarship, with amounts decreasing as household income increases, according to a statutory formula. Minimum voucher amounts are $6,166 for students in K–8 and $8,408 for those in grades 9–12. All participating schools must accept the voucher from any student from a household at or below 200% FPL as complete payment of tuition and fees. There is no enrollment cap. 

Funding Mechanism: Program-specific formula funding  

Universal Eligibility: ❌
Universal Usage: ❌
Universal Funding: ❌
Truly Universal: ❌

(Last updated December 16, 2025)

Use of Funds

Scholarships may be used to pay tuition to any state-approved nonpublic school.  

(Last updated December 16, 2025)

Program Guidelines

View program requirements for parents, schools, and scholarship granting organizations by clicking on each hyperlink.

(Last updated December 16, 2025)

Governing Statutes

Ohio Rev. Code §§ 3310.01 through .17 and other provisions cited within. 

(Last updated July 30, 2024) 

Legal History

On January 5, 2022, the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding plus 74 public school districts filed litigation against Ohio’s EdChoice Scholarship Program, calling the program an “existential threat” and alleging it depletes Ohio foundation funding that supports public schools and uses that money to subsidize private school tuitions at higher per-pupil rate than public schools. The complaint also alleges the program leads to more segregated schools, fails to support a uniform system of common schools, and gives sectarian institutions control over public funds. Defendants say the state’s 2023 appropriations bill cured any statutory defects and filed a motion to dismiss. The case was not dismissed and proceeded to discovery. Plaintiffs and Defendants filed cross-motions for summary judgment. If the case is not decided on summary judgement, the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas plans to begin trial on November 4, 2024. Columbus City School District v. State of Ohio, Case Number: 22CV000067. Pending. 

(Last updated July 30, 2024)