TL;DR: For 2026-27, IDOE estimates the full-year Choice Scholarship at $6,395.35 for a student living in Carmel Clay and $7,455.74 for one living inside Indianapolis Public Schools boundaries, with the metro's other 27 districts in between. The amount follows the family's home district, not the private school, and it is always capped at the school's tuition and fees.
How does Indiana decide what a Choice Scholarship is worth?
Indiana sets each voucher at the lesser of two numbers: the tuition and fees the Choice school reports on the student's application, or 90% of the per-student state funding for the student's public school corporation of legal settlement. IDOE publishes the second number for every district each year, and the 2026-27 estimates came out in a file dated February 27, 2026.
That formula has two consequences parents tend to miss. The first is that the voucher is a ceiling, not a check: a school that charges less than the district figure receives only its tuition and fees. The second is that two children sitting in the same classroom can carry different awards because they live in different districts. Grade level makes no difference. A kindergartner and a senior in the same district carry the same figure.
Which Indianapolis-area districts carry the largest and smallest vouchers?
Marion County districts carry the largest awards in the metro, and Hamilton County's the smallest. The spread from top to bottom is a little over $1,060 a year, which over a 13-year K-12 run is real money for a family paying the balance.
| County | Highest 2026-27 estimate | Lowest 2026-27 estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Marion | Indianapolis Public Schools, $7,455.74 | Franklin Township, $6,727.74 |
| Johnson | Edinburgh, $7,104.65 | Center Grove, $6,528.75 |
| Hendricks | Plainfield, $6,664.91 | North West Hendricks, $6,439.86 |
| Hamilton | Sheridan, $6,679.98 | Carmel Clay, $6,395.35 |
Inside Marion County the township districts cluster tightly: MSD Warren Township at $7,298.85, Pike at $7,146.63, Decatur at $7,106.90, Wayne at $7,103.21, Perry at $7,090.07 and Lawrence at $7,073.96. Washington Township sits a little lower at $6,988.80. Every one of the 11 Marion districts is above every Hamilton district on IDOE's list. The full table, with half-year figures, is on our voucher-by-district page.
Why doesn't the private school's location matter?
Because the law ties the award to where the student has legal settlement, and Indiana families cross district lines constantly. In 2025-26, IDOE's annual report found that 44.7% of Choice students statewide attended a Choice school located in a different public school corporation from the one they lived in.
In practice that means a family in Lawrence Township choosing a Fishers school takes the Lawrence figure of $7,073.96 with them, while a Fishers neighbor in Hamilton Southeastern territory brings $6,459.55 to the same school. If you are house-hunting with a particular school in mind, the district line on the map is the thing to check. Our relocation guide walks through it.
Full district award vs tuition cap: what's the difference for your family?
A full award means the state paid the entire district figure because tuition and fees were higher; a capped award means tuition was lower, so the state paid tuition instead. Both are common. Statewide in 2025-26, 60,641 Choice students received the full 90% amount and 19,907 had their award capped at tuition and fees.
The cap is good news for the family: it usually means nothing is left to pay from tuition, though fees outside the application can remain. It is also why parish and church-member rates matter. When a Catholic or Lutheran school lowers tuition for members, the voucher may then cover the whole bill. What the cap is not is a penalty or a smaller scholarship; the school is simply paid what it charges.
What does a period-two award pay?
Half. Students approved in period two, which runs November 1 to January 15, receive a half-year award, so IDOE lists $3,727.87 for an IPS-area student and $3,197.68 for a Carmel Clay student in 2026-27. The cap still applies against the remaining half-year of tuition. We cover the mechanics in our mid-year guide.
One caution on all of these figures: IDOE labels them estimates, and final award amounts are set later in the year. Plan with them, but treat the award letter the school's application generates as the number that counts.
How should a family use these numbers when comparing schools?
Start from your own district's figure and subtract it from each school's tuition and fees, because that difference, not the sticker price, is what you will be paying. Ask each school for the tuition and fees it will report on your child's Choice application, since that is the number the cap is measured against.
An illustrative example: at a school charging $9,000 in tuition and fees, a family living in MSD Washington Township carries $6,988.80 and faces a balance of $2,011.20, while a Carmel Clay family at the same school carries $6,395.35 and faces $2,604.65. If tuition were $6,000 instead, both families would owe nothing from tuition, because the voucher would be capped at $6,000. Balances like these are where an SGO grant, a member rate or school aid comes in, and the funding-stack guide lays out the order.
Frequently asked questions
How does Indiana decide what a Choice Scholarship is worth?
It pays the lesser of the school's reported tuition and fees or 90% of the per-student state funding for the student's home public school district.
Which Indianapolis-area district has the largest voucher for 2026-27?
Indianapolis Public Schools, at an estimated $7,455.74 for a full year. Carmel Clay has the smallest in the metro at $6,395.35.
Why doesn't the private school's location matter?
The award follows the student's district of legal settlement, so a child carries their home district's amount to any Choice school.
What does a period-two award pay?
Half of the district amount, for students approved between November 1 and January 15.
Related questions
- How much will the voucher pay for my children?
- What's left after the voucher at different schools?
- Who qualifies for the Choice Scholarship in 2026-27?
- Which metro schools are on the Choice list?