Education

How School Choice Programs Work

Four common ways a state helps families pay for private school or other education outside the district school, in plain words.

The basics

Education savings account (ESA)

The state deposits money into an account that a parent controls. The family spends it on approved costs, which usually include private school tuition and often tutoring, curriculum, therapies or testing. Money not spent in a year may or may not roll over, depending on the state.

Voucher

The state pays a scholarship straight to the private school a family chooses, instead of the money going to the district school. Some vouchers are limited to families under an income level or to students with disabilities.

Tax-credit scholarship

Individuals or businesses give to a scholarship-granting organization and receive a credit against their state taxes. The organization awards scholarships to students. The state does not pay the school; it gives up some tax revenue instead.

Tax credit or deduction for families

A family claims a credit or deduction on its own state tax return for tuition or other education spending. Some are refundable, some are capped, and some apply only below an income level.

Universal or limited

A program is called universal when every K-12 student in the state may apply. Many programs started limited, for example by income, disability or the district a child lives in, and some later widened. Funding caps and priority groups can still decide who receives money in a given year.

Charter schools and homeschooling

Charter schools are public schools that operate under a contract (a charter) with some freedom from district rules. They are not private school choice programs, so this section lists only whether a state has a charter law. Homeschooling is regulated state by state: some states require no notice at all, others require notice, testing or a portfolio review.

These are general descriptions. Each state writes its own rules, so look up the state page and its linked sources. Check your state's law before you start.

See the states by type

All states ›
  • Education savings accountState funds go into a parent-controlled account for private school tuition and other approved costs.
  • VoucherA state-funded scholarship that pays a private school directly.
  • Tax-credit scholarshipDonors receive a state tax credit for gifts to organizations that award private school scholarships.
  • Tax credit or deductionA tax credit or deduction for a family's own education spending.

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Source: NCES Private School Universe Survey. State facts as of November 2026; see each state page for its official sources.