State of Choice: April 2025

Universal Eligibility Becomes the New Standard

In the fight for educational freedom, 2025 is proving that momentum isn’t just measured by the number of new programs, but by a shift in expectations. Universal eligibility—once an impossible standard—is quickly becoming the new baseline for quality school choice programs. In fact, for the first time ever, each program enacted or expanded this year has included universal eligibility.

Recent legislative wins and debates show a growing national consensus: families, not zip codes or income levels, should determine a child’s educational path.

In April, Indiana became the 17^th state in the nation to provide all families within its borders with the freedom to participate in a choice program. Lawmakers there lifted the income cap for the Indiana Choice Scholarship voucher program, meaning that by the 2026-2027 school year, any child in the state may enroll and receive an annual voucher of over $6,200.

Texas is the next state poised to enact school choice legislation. For the first time ever, both chambers of the Texas legislature passed SB 2 to create a private school choice program, an education savings account that could fund up to an estimated 90,000 students in its first year; the program will grow with demand and be available to all. Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign the bill into law within the week, and upon launch, the new ESA program has the potential to be the nation’s largest in terms of children served.

After Texas, all eyes will be on New Hampshire, the next state expected to join the map of states offering programs with universal eligibility. Importantly, the Granite State’s program already allows families participating in the Education Freedom Account (EFA) program broad flexibility in how they may spend dollars, and ensures the program is sustainably and predictably funded through the state’s education funding formula. If policymakers lift the income cap as proposed in HB 115 and allow any student to participate, the Granite State will be the nation’s fifth to achieve full universality as first envisioned by Milton and Rose Friedman; the New Hampshire program would provide all students with all options and all dollars. In April, the House of Representatives passed the bill again, which is now being considered in the Senate. The House is also debating the Senate proposall, SB 295, to expand the EFA program.

Other states continue to make progress on more limited, but important, education freedom efforts. In South Carolina, policymakers are debating SB 62, which would expand eligibility in the state’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program. The bill would allow children from families earning 500% of the Federal Poverty Line to participate (up from 400% in the 2026-2027 school year), and remove the requirement that participants come from a public school. The legislation would also increase scholarships to $7,500 and ensure they continue to grow with inflation and permit the legislature to lift participation caps to meet demand.

While the momentum is undeniable, the push to expand educational freedom is not without challenges. Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe’s plan to expand the state’s tax-credit education savings account program by adding an additional $50 million appropriation faced a setback in April, with the Senate Committee on Appropriations removing the provision from budget bill HB 12. However, there is still an opportunity to restore the new funding to the budget in a committee of conference. In April, North Dakota lawmakers passed a bill to establish what would have been the state’s first school choice program, an ESA program with universal eligibility but with limited purchasing power. However, Gov. Kelly Armstrong, who has voiced support for school choice and ESAs, vetoed the legislation, saying the bill, “fell far short of truly expanding choice as it only impacts one sector of the student population.” While it would have been available to all, scholarships would have been funded based on family income and small compared to those in other states, ranging from approximately $800 to $2,800.

Despite an isolated setback, April ended with school choice advocates gaining ground nationwide. Universal eligibility is becoming the new standard, with more states joining the ranks and others pushing forward. As legislative sessions continue, all signs point to 2025 being a pivotal year for expanding educational opportunity across the country.