Which states have school voucher or ESA programs in 2026?

17 states have active school voucher or ESA programs in 2026: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Texas launches its Education Freedom Account program in fall 2026. Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, Utah, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Florida now have universal programs with no income limit.

How much is the average school voucher or ESA worth?

Most programs range from $5,000 to $10,000 per student per year. Texas's new Education Freedom Account is the highest at $10,474/year. Utah Fits All is $8,000. Arizona's ESA is $7,200. West Virginia's Hope Scholarship is lower at $4,600. Benefit amounts are typically set at 80–100% of what the state would have spent on the student in public school.

Do I Qualify for a School Voucher? 2026 ESA Eligibility by State

Q: What is the difference between a school voucher and an ESA?

A school voucher is a direct payment to a private school on the student's behalf. An Education Savings Account (ESA) deposits state funds into an account the family controls and can spend on tuition, tutoring, curriculum, therapy, and other approved education expenses. ESAs are newer and more flexible. Most recent programs use the ESA model.

Do I Qualify for a School Voucher?

ESA and voucher eligibility for every active state program. Income limits, benefit amounts, and how to apply.

Seven states now have universal programs with no income limit. Most others cut off somewhere between $58K and $133K for a family of four. Texas launches fall 2026 at $10,474/student.

Income-Based Programs

Eligibility depends on household income. Click a state to check your income against the limit.

State	Program	Max Benefit	Family of 4 Limit
Georgia	Georgia Special Needs Scholarship / Education Savings Account	$11,000/yr	$58,000
Indiana	Choice Scholarship Program	$7,752/yr	$111,000
Louisiana	Louisiana Scholarship Program	$7,476/yr	$58,040
Mississippi	Education Scholarship Account (ESA)	$6,500/yr	$65,000
Montana	Innovative Educational Program	$2,500/yr	$78,390
North Carolina	Opportunity Scholarship	$7,198/yr	$133,000
Ohio	EdChoice Expansion Scholarship	$6,165/yr	$115,000
South Carolina	Education Scholarship Trust Fund	$7,000/yr	$58,000
West Virginia	Hope Scholarship	$4,600/yr	$78,390
Wisconsin	Milwaukee / Racine Parental Choice Program	$8,399/yr	$53,000

Income limits shown for a family of 4. Actual limits vary by household size — click a state to see your specific threshold.

How School Vouchers and ESAs Work

There are two basic structures. A voucher is a direct payment to a private school. An Education Savings Account (ESA) deposits state funds into an account the family controls and can spend on tuition, tutoring, homeschool curriculum, therapy, and other approved education expenses. ESAs are newer. Most programs passed since 2021 use the ESA model.

The benefit amount is usually set as a percentage of what the state would have spent on that student in public school. In 2026 that puts most programs between $5,000 and $10,000. Texas set a flat $10,474 — the highest in the country and independent of local per-pupil spending.

Universal vs. Income-Based

The 2022–2024 expansion wave created universal programs. Arizona went first in 2022. Then Arkansas, Iowa, Utah, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Florida followed. Universal means no income limit — any student attending a qualifying private school or homeschooling can apply.

Income-based programs still make up the majority. Indiana's cutoff is generous at 400% of the federal poverty level (~$111K for a family of four). Wisconsin's Milwaukee program is stricter at 220% FPL (~$53K). Check each state page for exact thresholds by household size.

What You Can Spend It On

Voucher programs pay tuition only. ESA programs are broader. Most allow:

Private school tuition at approved schools
Tutoring from certified providers
Homeschool curriculum and materials
Therapy (speech, occupational, behavioral) for qualifying students
Testing and assessment fees

Not every program covers all of these. Arizona's ESA has the broadest approved expense list. Iowa and Utah are close behind. Wisconsin's voucher is tuition-only.

Application Timing

Most programs run on a school-year cycle with spring enrollment windows. Apply in March–May for the following fall. Some programs are oversubscribed and use lotteries — Arizona and Utah have had waitlists in recent years. Rolling enrollment (Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Iowa) means you can apply any time, but slots may be limited.

Texas opens enrollment in summer 2026 for a fall launch. Sign up for TEA notifications now.

States Likely to Pass Programs Soon

162 school choice bills are active in 28 states this session. Kansas, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee have come close. A universal program in any of those states would add millions of newly eligible families. Check back here as programs pass — we update as laws take effect.