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When it comes to choosing a school for your child, there are a number of important aspects of their education to keep in mind: the format of classes, the learning environment, and your child’s learning style. All of these components are key to ensuring that your child is properly supported throughout their education.
Finding the right fit for your child and their academic needs can be challenging, especially if affording tuition is a barrier. The Indiana Choice Scholarship program can make it easier for parents to choose the best school for their child, not just the one that’s tuition-free and close to home.
This program provides funding for parents to enroll their children in a variety of eligible participating schools, ensuring numerous options to support all types of educational needs.
Several types of schools are available to support your child’s educational needs. The Choice Scholarship program enables many families to receive the support they need for optimal school choice in Indiana, ensuring that more educational options are within reach.
Through the Choice Scholarship program, students in Indiana receive vouchers to attend private school. Understanding various eligibility criteria and other requirements is important so you and your child can navigate the process as smoothly as possible.
With the Indiana Choice Scholarship program, a certain number of students receive vouchers to use toward their private school tuition at participating private schools. This program aims to make additional types of schools and education more accessible to families and students who might benefit directly from what a private school has to offer.
The vouchers families receive are worth up to 90% of what the state would spend on a student’s education if that student were in the public school system. In 2022, the funds provided through a voucher averaged around $5,500. Average voucher amounts are expected to increase in subsequent years.
Families can supplement the funds they receive from a school voucher with other funds, such as personal savings or other scholarships, and students may also receive district-allocated funds for special education needs, if applicable, at a voucher-accepting school.
If a family’s voucher does not entirely cover the tuition at a participating private school, there may be other opportunities for families to secure additional funding.
In some cases, families may be able to apply for other need-based scholarships, or students may qualify for certain academic or merit-based scholarships.
Schools participating in the Choice Scholarship may also set up Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs). The funding for these SGOs comes from private charitable donations, and the scholarships may then be granted to students in pre-K through 12th grade. The basic eligibility requirements for SGOs are the same as those for the Indiana Choice Scholarship, but each school or SGO may determine unique additional requirements that students must meet.
Indiana also offers an Education Scholarship Account (ESA) program that can provide additional funds for students with special educational needs to support their tuition, services, therapies, individual classes, testing fees, transportation, and other approved educational expenses.
The Indiana Learns program is helping students who need a hand get back on track with a $1,000 grant that may be spent on tutoring. This is particularly for students in grades 3–8 who qualify for free or reduced lunch and score “below proficient” on standardized tests.
Indiana has launched the Career Scholarship Account program for families looking for more opportunities for their children outside the classroom or traditional academics. This program is designed to expand work-based learning for high school students throughout the state, specifically in 10–12th grade.
All students not already enrolled in a career technical education program can apply. They’ll be able to create a graduation plan and receive a $5,000 grant for approved “earn-and-learn opportunities” where students can learn valuable professional skills and explore career fields that may interest them.
The Indiana Choice Scholarship Eligibility Requirements include:
In 2023, for a child from a family of four, that income cap was $222,000.
The Indiana Department of Education has approved more than 250 private schools that participate in Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program. For a school to be approved, they must:
Before applying for the Indiana Choice Scholarship program, research any lingering questions you have and review the eligibility criteria.
The Choice Scholarship program has two application periods: March 1 through September 1 and November 1 through January 15. Applications submitted in the first period are full-year awards, while applications submitted in the second are half-year awards.
The first step in applying for the program is to apply to a private school that participates in it. Schools must apply to participate every year, so review the list carefully. You can find an updated list of participating schools on the Indiana Choice Scholarship website.
To submit the application, you’ll work with your private school of choice. The school will submit your application (with your information) through a password-protected website accessible only by school administrators.
If a student is approved for a Choice Scholarship, the school will provide a copy of the award letter at the time of approval. This award letter will detail the estimated amount of the Choice Scholarship. The school will provide you with an updated award letter detailing the final amount of the Choice Scholarship award.
of Indiana families income-eligible
participating schools in the 2022–2023 school year
participating students in the 2022–2023 school year
In Indiana, families have the opportunity to choose from several different school formats to ensure their child has an educational environment that will support their success. Indiana families can choose from:
Traditional public schools in Indiana operate like public schools in many other states: they’re tuition-free, with operating costs paid through taxes and state funding, open to all students, and operated by school districts.
Indiana has a restricted open enrollment policy, which means schools must allow transfers within the school district of Indianapolis Public Schools. In other districts, however, students can request a transfer to another public school of their choice, but not every public school has an open enrollment policy, and some may charge tuition for transfer students.
Parents can also request a transfer for their child, particularly if their local public school is over-enrolled or if a school in another district offers a curriculum more pertinent to their interests or goals.
Public charter schools are tuition-free schools funded by state taxes that may promote extra freedom to innovate within the curriculum or support various learning methods. In Indiana, 4.5% of all students in grades K–12 attend a charter school.
The term “charter” school comes from the fact that each school has a charter that outlines its purpose and the community need it serves. Some charter schools may focus on project-based learning, while others focus on language immersion or STEM education. Others still may be specifically dedicated to supporting students with certain special education needs.
Indiana’s first eleven charter schools opened in 2002, and now there are more than 100 total across the state.
Charter schools in Indiana can be found through the Indiana Charter Schools Network.
Public magnet schools are also tuition-free and funded by state taxes. This type of school allows students to focus on a particular educational or learning track, such as health sciences or the performing arts. Other examples of magnet schools include those focusing on communication skills, world language, STEM, art, and creativity.
While students still receive a well-rounded education by learning all the core subjects, those subjects are often taught through the lens of the school’s particular educational focus area.
There are 15 magnet elementary and middle schools in the Indianapolis Public School district alone and more throughout the state.
Magnet schools can be an excellent option for families whose children have a particular passion. Since they’re already tuition-free, they’re not eligible for the Choice Scholarship voucher program.
Private schools are non-public schools that charge tuition. There are about 800 private schools in Indiana. Like charter and magnet schools, private schools can sometimes have a particular focus area or certain values at their institution’s core. Some are religious or faith-based, while others have dedicated themselves to serving students with special educational needs. The average cost of tuition for a private elementary school in Indiana is $5,881, while the average cost for a private high school is $10,280. Indiana has several programs—including the Choice Scholarship, Education Savings Account, and Tax-Credit Scholarship—that can help families afford private school tuition.
The Indiana Choice Scholarship program provides families vouchers for tuition at any participating private school. For the 2022–2023 school year, there were almost 350 participating private schools.
Online schools can support the educational success of an array of students, whether they need additional support in specific subjects or a more flexible learning environment to better fit their schedule.
There’s a wide variety of online schools available in Indiana. Some serve all students in grades K–12, while others only serve specific grades or local students who live in the school district.
Many of these online schools would not qualify for the Choice Scholarship voucher program, since they’re already tuition-free or run by local school districts.
There are three online private school options, however, that do qualify for the voucher program:
If you’re interested in using a voucher at one of these online schools, work with the school to submit your Indiana Choice Scholarship application through a password-protected website accessible only by school administrators.
Homeschooling refers to the process of parents educating their children at home. In Indiana, 5% of all K–12 students are homeschooled.
If you choose to homeschool your child, it’s recommended that you formally withdraw them from their previous school. You’re not required to teach specific subjects or administer standardized tests. Still, if you do decide to have your child return to a public school for their education, schools may use specific assessments to determine the best grade placement.
In some cases, homeschooled students may be able to participate in classes, sports, and extracurricular activities or receive special education services from their local school district. Each district may have different policies.
While the Choice Scholarship voucher program cannot be used for homeschooling purposes, Indiana does offer a tax deduction for homeschooling.
Microschools form when students gather with supervision to explore, learn, and socialize. Sometimes, they might be a type of homeschooling, like when several homeschooled children get together to work on a certain lesson. In other cases, they might refer to more organized institutions, like a private school, promoting and empowering small group work.
At their core, microschools emphasize deep, individualized learning and close-knit relationships.
Certain schools or other educational groups may offer more structured learning pods for students and families. Some of these organizations in Indiana include:
Since microschooling is more about the mentality than it is any distinct definition of an educational format, these educational options are not necessarily eligible for the Choice Scholarship program. If you enroll your child in a private school with structured microschooling opportunities, your Choice Scholarship voucher could be used toward your total tuition. The microschooling would be a supplemental educational format through your private school.
With so many options, choosing the right school for your child may seem overwhelming. How can you ensure that you’re picking a place that can truly support your child and drive their educational success?
Take some time to think about your child and their unique academic needs. You know your child best, so trust that you’re the right person to make this decision for them. Follow these steps so you can be confident in how you guide your child on their academic journey:
Get started finding the right school for your child by browsing schools that participate in the Indiana Choice Scholarship program. Once you find an eligible school, you’re well on your way to ensuring your child’s success throughout their academic journey.