The Ohio EdChoice Income Chart, Explained in Plain English

EdChoice is the state of Ohio paying part of your child's private school tuition. The full name of the current program is the EdChoice Expansion Scholarship. It is open to every family in the state. There is no waiting list, and your child does not need to have gone to a public school first.

The state sends the money straight to the private school your child attends. You never see a check. The tuition invoice from the school is reduced by the voucher amount, and you pay the difference.

Two things decide how much your voucher is worth. The first is the grade your child is in. The second is your household income, compared to the federal poverty level for a family your size. Everything else follows from those two numbers.

For the current school year, the largest EdChoice award is around $6,166 for grades K through 8 and around $8,408 for grades 9 through 12. Those are the numbers families at or below 450% of the federal poverty level receive.

At many Ohio Catholic and Christian schools, the K through 8 award covers the entire tuition line. High school tuition tends to run a few thousand dollars above the award, but the voucher still handles most of it.

Above 450% of the poverty level, the award shrinks on a sliding scale, and it keeps shrinking until you cross 750%. Above that line, every family still receives a small voucher. Nobody in Ohio walks away with zero.

The chart is easier to trust once you see it applied to actual people. All three of these families are looking at a Catholic elementary school with a sticker tuition of $6,500 per student.

The Reyes family. Two parents, two kids, household income of $85,000. They land under the 450% line for a family of four. Their full award is about $6,166. The school bills them the remaining $334 for the year. That is about $28 per month.

The Johnson family. Two parents, three kids, household income of $150,000. They are between 450% and 550% for a family of five. Their award steps down, but not by a lot. They still receive most of the $6,166, and their remaining tuition sits in the low four figures.

The Patel family. Two parents, one child, income of $250,000. They are well above the top band. Their voucher is smaller, but the school also offers a $1,000 parishioner discount and a sibling discount they will use for their next child. Their real cost is nothing like the sticker.

You do not have to do this math on paper. Pick the private school you are interested in, and use the Clear Cost calculator on our Ohio page. Enter your household size and income, and the calculator applies the state chart, the school's tuition and fees, any scholarships the school offers, sibling discounts, church discounts, and payment plans. You see one honest number at the end.

If you want to read the state rules yourself, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce keeps them on the EdChoice Scholarship page. For research on how school choice programs actually play out for families, EdChoice.org publishes the ABCs of School Choice, and the National Center for Education Statistics tracks private school enrollment data.

What is EdChoice Expansion?

EdChoice Expansion is Ohio's income-based voucher. It is open to every K–12 student in the state. The amount the state pays toward private school tuition scales with your household size and income.

How much is the maximum EdChoice voucher?

For the current school year the maximum award is about $6,166 for grades K through 8 and about $8,408 for grades 9 through 12. Families under 450% of the federal poverty level receive the full amount.

What if my income is higher than the chart shows?

The award phases down but does not disappear. Every Ohio family qualifies for at least a small voucher, so it is worth running the numbers before you decide private school is out of reach.

How do I know the actual number for my family?

Pick your school on the Ohio calculator page. Enter your household size and income and the calculator applies the state chart, your school's tuition, and any scholarships the school offers.