Who qualifies for the Indiana Choice Scholarship in 2026-27?
Every Indianapolis-area student who has legal settlement in Indiana and is at least five and under 22 on October 1 now qualifies, whatever the family earns. Lawmakers removed the income cap in May 2025, and the change took effect with the 2026-27 school year.
Before that, a household had to be within 400% of the free and reduced-price lunch line, which IDOE put at $237,910 for a family of four in 2025-26. That test is gone for Choice, but it still applies to SGO scholarships, so keep the old number in mind if you plan to stack.
How much is a Choice Scholarship worth in Indianapolis?
The award is set by the public school district where your child lives, not by the private school you pick. For 2026-27 IDOE estimates $7,456 for a student living in Indianapolis Public Schools territory and $6,395 for one living in Carmel Clay, with the other 27 districts in the four counties falling between them.
The state then pays the lesser of that figure or the school's reported tuition and fees. So a school charging, for example, $5,900 receives $5,900, not the district amount. In 2025-26, 60,641 Choice students statewide received the full 90% figure and 19,907 had their award capped at tuition.
How do you apply for a Choice Scholarship in Indiana?
You don't file it yourself: the participating school submits the application after your child enrolls, and IDOE sends you an award letter with the estimated amount. Your job is to enroll at a school on the state's Choice list and hand the school the documents it asks for, usually proof of Indiana residence.
Period one runs from March 1 to September 1 and carries a full-year award. Period two runs from November 1 to January 15 and carries a half-year award, which is how a mid-year transfer still gets funded.
Which Indianapolis-area schools take the voucher?
120 of the 175 private schools in our four-county file appear on IDOE's 2026-27 participating list, downloaded October 28, 2026. Every listing on this site shows that flag, the state's instruction type (in person, hybrid or virtual) and, where the annual report gives it, how many Choice students the school enrolled in 2025-26.
To join, a school must be in Indiana, charge tuition, be accredited by the State Board of Education or a recognized accreditor, give the statewide assessment and report performance data. That is why a homeschool or an unaccredited microschool cannot receive Choice money.
| Question | Choice Scholarship | What people confuse it with |
|---|---|---|
| Who holds the money? | The state pays the school directly | An ESA, where a parent directs an account in ClassWallet |
| Does income matter? | No, from 2026-27 | SGO scholarships, which still use the 400% lunch-program line |
| What sets the amount? | Your home district's state funding, capped at tuition | A flat statewide figure (there isn't one) |
| Can it pay a tutor or curriculum? | No; tuition and fees only | The ESA, which can, for students with an IEP or service plan |