How Much Is the EdChoice Scholarship in Ohio?

If you are asking how much is the edchoice scholarship in ohio, the short answer for the 2026-27 school year is a maximum of $6,166 for a student in kindergarten through 8th grade and $8,408 for a student in grades 9 through 12. The longer answer — the one that determines what your family actually receives — depends on which of Ohio’s two EdChoice programs you are in, how your household income compares with the federal poverty guidelines for your household size, and the actual tuition of the school you choose. Some families receive the full maximum at any income. Others receive the full maximum only below a specific income line, a reduced amount above it, and a guaranteed minimum at every income. This guide works through all of it with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce’s published 2026-27 figures, including a dollar-by-dollar worked example.

How Much Is the EdChoice Scholarship in Ohio for 2026-27?

The maximum awards for 2026-27, set by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, are:

• Grades K–8: $6,166 per student per year at the full award.
• Grades 9–12: $8,408 per student per year at the full award.
• Minimum award at any income (EdChoice Expansion): $616 for K–8 and $840 for grades 9–12 — 10% of the maximum.

Two caps apply to every award, in both programs. First, the scholarship never exceeds the school’s actual tuition: if a school’s tuition is lower than your award, the award is the tuition amount, not the maximum. Second, in the income-based program, the award is reduced on a sliding scale once household income passes 450% of the federal poverty guidelines, as detailed below. Whether you receive the maximum, a reduced amount, or the minimum is therefore a calculation, not a guess — and you can run your own household through our Ohio EdChoice scholarship checker to see the estimate for your income, household size, and grade band before you apply.

Two Programs, One Name: Traditional EdChoice vs. EdChoice Expansion

The most common source of confusion is that “EdChoice” names two different programs with two different eligibility rules.

Traditional EdChoice: based on your assigned school building

Traditional EdChoice is based on the public school building your child is assigned to attend. If that building is on Ohio’s EdChoice designated schools list — the state’s list of designated, low-performing buildings — the student qualifies for the full scholarship at any income. There is no income test and no sliding scale. A high-income family whose child is assigned to a designated building receives the same $6,166 or $8,408 maximum as any other Traditional EdChoice family.

EdChoice Expansion: based on income, open to everyone

EdChoice Expansion is the income-based program, and it is open to every Ohio student. Eligibility does not depend on your assigned school at all. Instead, your award is set by where your household income falls against the federal poverty guidelines for your household size: the full award at or below 450% of the guidelines, a reduced award above that line, and never less than 10% of the maximum. Every Ohio family can use Expansion — the only question it asks is how much.

So the first question is never “how much?” but “which program?” If your child is assigned to a designated building, stop at the maximum: Traditional EdChoice pays it regardless of income. If not, your answer comes from the Expansion scale in the next two sections.

The 450% Line, in Dollars

“450% of the federal poverty guidelines” is hard to judge in the abstract, so here is the full-award line as a dollar figure, using the 2026 federal poverty guidelines the checker uses ($15,960 for a household of one, plus $5,680 for each additional person):

• Household of 1: guideline $15,960 — full award at or below $71,820
• Household of 2: guideline $21,640 — full award at or below $97,380
• Household of 3: guideline $27,320 — full award at or below $122,940
• Household of 4: guideline $33,000 — full award at or below $148,500
• Household of 5: guideline $38,680 — full award at or below $174,060
• Household of 6: guideline $44,360 — full award at or below $199,620

Read your household’s line carefully, because households are larger than many people assume: household size counts the people in the home, and each additional person raises the guideline — and therefore raises the income at which your family still receives the full award. A family of five earning $160,000 is below its full-award line; a family of two earning the same amount is well above its own.

The second line that matters is 200% of the guideline — $66,000 for a household of four. At or below it, a family has low-income status, which carries a protection described below: the participating school must accept the scholarship as payment in full for tuition.

Above 450%: The Sliding Scale

Past the 450% line, the Expansion award steps down as income rises, following the Department of Education and Workforce’s published 2026-27 award distribution, until it reaches the 10% minimum. Estimated awards at selected income levels, expressed as a percentage of the poverty guideline for your household size:

• At 451%: about $6,123 (K–8) / $8,349 (grades 9–12)
• At 500%: about $4,360 (K–8) / $5,945 (grades 9–12)
• At 550%: about $3,083 (K–8) / $4,204 (grades 9–12)
• At 600%: about $2,180 (K–8) / $2,972 (grades 9–12)
• At 650%: about $1,541 (K–8) / $2,102 (grades 9–12)
• At 700%: about $1,090 (K–8) / $1,486 (grades 9–12)
• Minimum at any income: $616 (K–8) / $840 (grades 9–12)

Two features of the scale are worth understanding. First, the drop just above the line is gentle: at 451% the award is only slightly below the maximum. The reductions steepen as income climbs further above the line. Second, the scale never reaches zero. Because every Expansion family receives at least 10% of the maximum, there is no income at which an Ohio family becomes simply ineligible for EdChoice Expansion — higher income shrinks the award, it does not eliminate it. The state’s program pages, including the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce EdChoice Expansion guidance, publish the official program rules behind these figures.

Worked Example: A Family of Four Earning $165,000

Take a household of four with a total annual income of $165,000 and a student in grades 9–12, using EdChoice Expansion (the child is not assigned to a designated building). The calculation runs in three steps:

1. Find the guideline. The 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of four is $33,000.
2. Express income as a percentage of it. $165,000 divided by $33,000 is exactly 500% of the guideline — above the 450% full-award line ($148,500 for this household), so the award is reduced.
3. Read the award off the scale. At 500%, the estimated grades 9–12 award is $5,945, against the $8,408 maximum.

The same income and household with a younger child produces a different number, because the maximums differ by grade band: at exactly 500% of the guideline, a K–8 student’s estimated award is $4,360 against the $6,166 maximum. And if that family’s income rose to $181,500 — exactly 550% of the guideline — the K–8 estimate would fall to about $3,083. One household, three different awards, all from the same two inputs: income as a percentage of the guideline, and grade band.

Contrast a family of four earning $60,000 with a K–8 student. That income is about 182% of the $33,000 guideline — well under the 450% line — so the checker returns the full $6,166 Expansion award. Because the family is also under 200% of the guideline, it has low-income status, which changes what the school may charge, as the next section explains.

Low-Income Status: When the Scholarship Must Cover Tuition in Full

Ordinarily, if a school’s tuition is higher than the scholarship, the family pays the difference — the scholarship is a contribution toward tuition, not a guarantee that tuition is covered. Low-income status is the exception. Families at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines have low-income status, and for those families the participating private school must accept the scholarship as full payment of tuition. It cannot charge the family the difference.

That single rule changes the real value of the award more than any figure on the sliding scale. For the family of four earning $60,000 in the example above, the $6,166 scholarship is not merely $6,166 toward a larger bill — at a participating school, it settles the tuition bill entirely. When you estimate your own award, check both lines: 450% tells you how much you receive, and 200% tells you whether the school may bill you for anything beyond it.

How to Apply, Step by Step

1. Choose a participating chartered nonpublic (private) school and apply for admission there first. EdChoice applications run through the school, not directly from the family to the state.
2. The school submits your EdChoice application in the state system during the application window for 2026-27: February 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Note that applications submitted after October 14, 2026 are prorated for the rest of the school year.
3. Complete income verification through your OH|ID account. Only federal 1040 tax forms are accepted for verification, so the income that matters is the income on that return.
4. Keep the scholarship renewable. The scholarship renews each year you reapply, your child takes the required state assessments, and your family stays an Ohio resident.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

For 2026-27, the EdChoice maximums are $6,166 for K–8 and $8,408 for grades 9–12. Traditional EdChoice pays that maximum at any income when your child is assigned to a designated school building. EdChoice Expansion pays it at or below 450% of the federal poverty guidelines for your household size, reduces it on a published sliding scale above that line, and never pays less than $616 or $840. Run your household size, income, and grade band through the checker, note whether you are also under the 200% low-income line, and apply through your chosen participating school inside the February 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 window.

This article is general information about Ohio’s EdChoice programs and is not financial, legal, or admissions advice. The state determines final eligibility and award amounts from your verified income and household size, and the award can never exceed your school’s actual tuition. Confirm your figures with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and your chosen school before making enrollment decisions.