Up to $6,166 a year toward private school in Columbus.
Ohio's EdChoice Expansion is open to every K-12 student in Franklin, Delaware, Licking and Fairfield counties, with the full award for a family of four earning up to $148,500. 121 of the 160 schools in our directory hold the state charter that EdChoice requires. We match your child to the programs, the deadlines and the schools.
K-8 maximum for 2026-27. High school students can receive up to $8,408. Paid to the school toward tuition.
State-chartered schools in our 160-school directory, the type that can enroll EdChoice students.
Columbus City Schools buildings on the 2026-27 EdChoice designated list, out of 112 open buildings.
Last day of the 2026-27 window. Awards are prorated for applications after October 14, 2026.
At many church schools, EdChoice covers most of the bill.
An illustrative kindergartner at a congregation-run school charging $7,400, in a household under 450% of poverty.
Illustrative example, not a quote. Ohio private schools don't report tuition to the state. A household at or below 200% of poverty with verified income cannot be charged tuition above the award; fees are separate.
The money available to a Central Ohio family
Two EdChoice programs, two special-needs scholarships, tax-credit scholarships, College Credit Plus, early-years help and Catholic school aid.
EdChoice Expansion Scholarship
Ohio's income-based private school voucher. Every K-12 student outside the Cleveland district can apply; households at or below 450% of poverty get the full $6,166 (K-8) or $8,408 (9-12), and higher incomes get a smaller amount.
Who qualifies →Designated buildings · no income testTraditional EdChoice Scholarship
The original performance-based EdChoice voucher. A student assigned to an EdChoice-designated public school building qualifies with no income test, and 95 of 112 Columbus City Schools buildings are designated for 2026-27.
Who qualifies →IEP required · up to $34,000Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship (JPSN)
Ohio's scholarship for students ages 3 through 21 who have an IEP from their public district. The 2026-27 amount depends on the primary disability category and ranges from $10,045 to $34,000.
Who qualifies →Autism · $34,000Autism Scholarship Program
A separate Ohio scholarship for children identified with autism, worth up to $34,000 for 2026-27, that pays a private or alternative provider for the special education services in the child's plan.
Who qualifies →Privately funded · state creditOhio SGO Tax-Credit Scholarships
Scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) certified by the Ohio Attorney General raise donations that earn donors a state income tax credit of up to $750 ($1,500 for joint filers), then award K-12 scholarships with priority for lower-income students.
Who qualifies →New · January 2027Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (2027)
A new federal tax credit of up to $1,700 per taxpayer for gifts to scholarship granting organizations in participating states. Ohio is on the IRS list of participating states, and gifts count starting January 1, 2027.
Who qualifies →| EdChoice Expansion | Traditional EdChoice | Jon Peterson | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who | Any K-12 student outside Cleveland | Assigned to a designated building, or sibling/placement status | Ages 3-21 with an IEP |
| 2026-27 amount | Up to $6,166 / $8,408, income-scaled | $6,166 / $8,408 | $10,045-$34,000 by category |
| Is not | A spending account | Tied to income | Based on income |
What EdChoice pays for, and what it leaves to you
Ohio's vouchers are tuition-only. Fees, uniforms, aftercare and preschool are separate, and Ohio has no homeschool account. Here is the line, item by item.
Tuition at a participating chartered school
Paid to the school, up to $6,166 (K-8) or $8,408 (9-12) for 2026-27, or the school's tuition if it is lower.
Tuition above the award, household at or below 200% of poverty
A family with verified low-income status does not have to pay tuition the scholarship leaves uncovered.
Tuition above the award, household above 200% of poverty
The school can bill the difference; school aid, SGO awards and parish help are the usual answers.
Registration, book, material and activity fees
DEW's fact sheets say families may still have to pay registration, material and similar fees.
Uniforms, meals and transportation
EdChoice is tuition-only. Chartered schools are eligible for state pupil transportation services, which is separate from the scholarship.
Before- and after-school care
Look at publicly funded child care or the Child Care Choice Voucher if the program is a participating provider.
How Columbus Edu Funding works
Answer five questions
Grade, school type, where you live, household size and timing. No tax forms yet, no account to create.
Get your funding map
A tuition counselor checks Expansion versus traditional EdChoice, special-needs eligibility, Catholic and SGO aid, and the dates that apply to you.
Enroll at a school that can take it
We point you to chartered schools that fit, and explain the paperwork the school files on your behalf.
All 160 Central Ohio private schools, from federal and state records
Grades, affiliation, reported enrollment and each school's status on Ohio's chartered and non-chartered lists.
Catholic Schools
Parish elementaries and high schools of the Diocese of Columbus, plus independent Catholic schools in the four counties.
39 schools →Christian Schools
Non-denominational, Baptist, Lutheran, Adventist, Nazarene, Presbyterian, Methodist and Assemblies of God schools.
46 schools →Jewish, Islamic & Other Faith Schools
Jewish day schools, Islamic schools and schools of other religious traditions.
7 schools →Independent & Nonsectarian Schools
College-preparatory day schools, Montessori programs, learning-difference schools and other schools with no religious affiliation.
51 schools →Schools With No Affiliation on File
State-chartered schools whose religious orientation is not reported in either the federal survey or the state directory.
17 schools →Special Education & Learning-Difference Schools
Schools the federal survey classifies as special education, plus schools run by the same organizations.
11 schools →Montessori Schools
Montessori programs, from toddler and pre-K classrooms to K-8 and secondary campuses.
9 schools →Preschools & Early Learning
Programs that end at pre-K or kindergarten, including church preschools and early-learning chains.
36 schools →By community: Downtown, German Village & the Near East Side · Clintonville & the University District · Northland, Linden & the Northeast Side · Bexley, Whitehall & Reynoldsburg · The Hilltop, West Side & Galloway · Upper Arlington, Worthington & the Northwest Side · Dublin & Hilliard · Westerville, Gahanna & New Albany · Powell, Lewis Center & Delaware · Grove City, Groveport, Canal Winchester & the South Side · Newark, Heath, Granville & Licking County · Lancaster, Pickerington & Fairfield County
Partner with Columbus Edu Funding
Families who reach you through us already know which programs they qualify for. Congregations weighing a school get a clear view of Ohio's chartered and non-chartered paths.
From the Columbus Edu Funding blog
Jon Peterson and Autism Scholarships in Central Ohio: 2026-27 Amounts and the Preschool Change
The 2026-27 Peterson amounts by disability category, how the Autism Scholarship differs, and why Columbus preschoolers with IEPs can now qualify.
Read →Oct 26, 2026EdChoice Expansion at $150,000, $200,000 and $250,000: Real Numbers for Central Ohio
The full award holds to $148,500 for a family of four, then halves every 100 points of income. Here are the 2026-27 numbers at the incomes we hear most.
Read →Oct 23, 202695 of 112 Columbus City Schools Buildings Are EdChoice-Designated: What That Means
Nearly every Columbus City Schools building is on the 2026-27 EdChoice list. For families above 450% of poverty, that can mean the full scholarship instead of a reduced one.
Read →EdChoice questions Columbus parents ask first
How much is the EdChoice scholarship for a Columbus student in 2026-27?
Up to $6,166 for grades K-8 and $8,408 for grades 9-12. Households at or below 450% of the poverty guideline, $148,500 for a family of four, receive the full amount through EdChoice Expansion; higher incomes receive a reduced award that never falls below 10% of the maximum.
Is there an income limit for EdChoice in Columbus?
There is no cutoff. EdChoice Expansion is open to any Ohio K-12 student outside the Cleveland district, and income only changes the amount. Traditional EdChoice, for students assigned to designated public buildings, has no income test at all.
How many Columbus-area private schools can accept EdChoice?
121 of the 160 schools in our directory appear in Ohio's state directory as chartered nonpublic schools, the school type that can enroll EdChoice students (retrieved October 28, 2026). Each school also registers as a scholarship provider, so confirm with the school.
Is EdChoice still available after the October 2026 court ruling?
Yes. The Tenth District Court of Appeals ruled the program unconstitutional on October 15, 2026 but stayed its own decision while the state appeals to the Ohio Supreme Court, so payments and new applications continue.
What is the EdChoice deadline for 2026-27?
The window runs through June 30, 2027, but applications submitted after October 14, 2026 receive a prorated award for the part of the year that remains.
See what your family qualifies for
Two minutes, five questions. A tuition counselor calls you back with the programs and deadlines that fit your child.