50-State Comparison: Private School Choice 2021 (archive)

This resource provides information on state private school choice policies specific to vouchers, education savings accounts and scholarship tax credits. It highlights the various ways in which states approach specific private school choice policies. It is worth noting that some states have more than one private school choice program.

Click on the questions below to access 50-State Comparisons for each of the data points.

Click here to view individual state profiles detailing all data elements for a single state.

Vouchers

School vouchers are state-funded programs — often called scholarship programs — that allow students to use public monies to attend a private school. The state provides a set amount of money, typically based on the state’s per-pupil amount, for private school tuition.

There are currently 27 voucher programs in 16 states and the District of Columbia.

50-State Comparisons:

1. Does the state have a voucher program?
2. Program name
3. Student eligibility requirements: Primary requirements
4. Student eligibility requirement: Previous public school attendance
5. Enrollment limits
6. Voucher amount
7. Testing requirement
8. Private school participation standards
9. Reporting requirements (to the state)
10. All data points for all states

Education Savings Accounts

Education Savings Accounts are private savings accounts funded by a deposit from the state government and managed by a parent. The deposit amount varies from state to state and is typically based on the state’s per-pupil amount. To use an ESA, parents withdraw their child from the public school system and use ESA funds to purchase specified educational services, like tutoring, online courses or private school tuition.

There are currently six states with ESA programs.

50-State Comparisons:

1. Does the state have an education savings account program?
2. Program name
3. Student eligibility requirements: Primary requirements
4. Student eligibility requirement: Previous public school attendance
5. Enrollment limits
6. Permissible use of funds
7. ESA amount
8. All data points for all states

Scholarship Tax Credits

Scholarship tax credit programs provide a tax credit to businesses and individual taxpayers for donating funds to scholarship granting organizations. Nonprofit organizations manage and distribute donated funds in the form of private school tuition scholarships to eligible students.

There are currently 24 scholarship tax credit programs in 19 states.

50-State Comparisons:

• Does the state have a scholarship tax credit program?
• Program name
• Student eligibility requirements: Primary requirements
• Student eligibility requirement: Previous public school attendance
• Enrollment limits
• Scholarship amount
• Tax credit limit
• All data points for all states