Indiana Raises the Bar for Education Options with Choice Scholarship Expansion and Career Scholarship Account Program

News provided by

Jun 20, 2023, 15:05 ET

97% of students in Indiana are now eligible to apply for a private school scholarship program

INDIANAPOLIS, June 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- This spring, Indiana has taken significant steps to enhance school choice options for students and families, including an expansion of income eligibility for Indiana's Choice Scholarship Program, the School Scholarship Tax Credit, and the Education Scholarship Account Program. As a result, 97% of students in the state are now eligible to apply for private school scholarship programs.

The biggest impact of these reforms will be on Indiana's Choice Scholarship Program, which provides financial assistance to families who choose to send their children to private schools. These changes will open doors for more families by allowing greater income thresholds. Specifically, the new budget, effective from 2023, expands eligibility for Indiana's Choice Scholarship Program. Now, any child from a family of four earning less than $222,000 annually can receive a voucher to attend a private school of their choice.

Given all the school choice updates in Indiana, the National School Choice Awareness Foundation—a nonprofit that helps parents navigate K–12 education options across traditional public, public charter, public magnet, private, online, and home education environments—has developed a comprehensive guide with valuable information and resources for parents, families, and educators.

The guide answers questions about the program, including the following:

Who is now eligible for Indiana's Choice Scholarship?
How much does Indiana's Choice Scholarship amount to?
Where can the scholarship be used?
What changed with similar programs offered by the state, such as the School Scholarship Tax Credit and the Education Scholarship Account Program?
What is the new Career Scholarship Account program for high school students?

"For years, Indiana has been a standard bearer for a strong slate of school choice options for families, well before the wave of expansions we've seen nationally over the last several years," said Shelby Doyle, vice president of public awareness at the National School Choice Awareness Foundation. "When options expand, families need accurate, jargon-free information quickly to help them make school choices for their children. We hope this guide, alongside the vital work of many local organizations, will help them on their way."

More information and resources for journalists can be found at schoolchoiceweek.com/multimedia. More information for families can be found at https://schoolchoiceweek.com/indiana-choice-scholarship/ or schoolchoiceweek.com/indiana.

The National School Choice Awareness Foundation (NSCAF) raises broad and positive awareness of school choice through two charitable programs: National School Choice Week each January and the research, development, and promotion of comprehensive and unbiased school navigation resources for parents via School Choice Week and Conoce tus Opciones Escolares. NSCAF does not advocate for or oppose legislation at any level of government and is steadfastly nonpartisan and nonpolitical.

SOURCE National School Choice Week