EdChoice Scholarship Program
The Ohio EdChoice Scholarship program provides educational scholarship opportunities for students throughout the state, offering families greater school choice and financial assistance for private education. The EdChoice Scholarship covers up to $6,166 for students in grades K-8, while the EdChoice Expansion Scholarship provides varying amounts based on family income levels. These programs are designed to ensure that quality educational options are accessible to Ohio families regardless of their economic circumstances.
Key EdChoice Program Details:
- Eligibility: Available to Ohio residents whose children are assigned to underperforming public schools or meet specific income requirements
- EdChoice Traditional: Up to $6,166 (K-8) and $8,400 (9-12) for students zoned to low-performing schools
- EdChoice Expansion: Income-based sliding scale from $1,000 to full scholarship amounts depending on family income (up to 450% of federal poverty guidelines)
- Application Process: Applications typically open in February with multiple application windows throughout the year
- School Participation: Must be used at participating private schools that meet state requirements
- Renewal: Scholarships can be renewed annually as long as eligibility requirements continue to be met
- No Geographic Restrictions: Students can use scholarships at eligible private schools anywhere in Ohio, not just in their home district
For complete eligibility requirements and current application deadlines, families should visit the Ohio Department of Education website or contact the Main Office at Xavier Jesuit Academy at 513 275-5501.
EdChoice Scholarship Program - Frequently Asked Questions
EdChoice is an Ohio state scholarship program that provides families with educational options by allowing them to use state funding to attend chartered non-public schools, including Xavier Jesuit Academy.
Parents control EdChoice scholarships, not the schools. EdChoice scholarships are awarded directly to parents, who may then use them at any chartered non-public school of their choice. The State has not given any religious institution control of public funds.
Yes. Previous Supreme Court rulings strongly support school choice programs:
- In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the nearly identical Cleveland Scholarship program
- The Court later reaffirmed that if states choose to support private education, they cannot disqualify religious schools
No. Public schools are funded on separate budget lines. Dollars are not taken from public schools to pay for scholarship programs that allow students to attend chartered non-public schools. If legislators were to choose not to fund EdChoice scholarships in the future, public schools would not see any immediate increase in their budget.
While the Ohio Constitution requires a "thorough and efficient system of common schools," it does not preclude the State from providing parents with educational options and assistance. The program is structured to support parental choice, not to fund religious institutions directly.
Yes. Catholic schools participating in EdChoice adhere to state "chartering" requirements, including:
- Teacher licensing requirements
- State "operating standards"
- State audits
- Approved testing protocols
- Accreditation through the Ohio Catholic School Accrediting Association
Yes. Catholic school parents pay the same share of state income taxes and property taxes as parents who send their children to public schools. Educating all children of the state is a shared duty regardless of which school they choose to attend.
EdChoice scholarships represent significant value for Ohio taxpayers:
- The average cost to educate a public school student in a K-12 school now exceeds $17,000 per year
- EdChoice scholarships provide quality education at a lower per-student cost
- If all Catholic school students were suddenly enrolled in public schools, it would cost an additional estimated $1.92 billion per year, plus the need for new facilities
Yes. Catholic schools in Ohio are ethnically and racially diverse:
- Statewide, Catholic schools contain the same percentage of African American students as public schools on average
- Catholic schools have an even higher percentage of Hispanic students than public schools
- EdChoice scholarships increase diversity in Ohio schools rather than diminish it
Yes, absolutely. Despite a recent Franklin County court ruling, all EdChoice scholarships remain fully intact and available for the 2025-2026 school year. Families can continue to apply for and use EdChoice scholarships without any interruption.
A Franklin County judge ruled in favor of plaintiffs who claimed the EdChoice program is unconstitutional. However, this ruling does not affect current scholarship availability. The case is proceeding through the appeals process, and both parties have agreed that EdChoice funding should not be disrupted while the appeal is underway.
No. We remain confident about the future of EdChoice scholarship funding. The attorneys defending the EdChoice program are very confident the constitutionality of the program will prevail at the Ohio Supreme Court.
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