Vouchers
Voucher programs allow parents to use all or part of the government funding set aside for their children’s education to send their children to the public or private school of their choice.

Most programs allow parents to choose to send their children to private schools, including religious schools. Participating private schools are required to meet standards for safety, fiscal soundness and non-discrimination; some programs also impose additional regulations. Popular examples of vouchers include universal vouchers (all children are eligible, means tested vouchers (low income families eligible), and special education vouchers (children identified as having special education needs eligible).

Examples: Wisconsin, Arizona, Ohio, Florida

Tax Funded Scholarship Programs
Individuals and/or corporations get a tax credit for making donations to private charitable organizations, which use the money to fund scholarships for students to attend a private or public school of their parent’s choice. This provides vital options for parents, particularly lower-income parents, to send their children to a school that works for them.

These scholarships can cover the cost of private-school tuition, tutoring and transportation. In most states, students must meet certain income criteria to be eligible for scholarships. Scholarship-granting organizations can be started by community groups, philanthropic organizations or any other group that wants to extend school choice to children. Participating private schools are required to meet standards for safety, fiscal soundness and non-discrimination.

Examples: Florida, Pennsylvania, Arizona

Personal Tax Credits and Deductions
Parents are given a tax credit or tax deduction from state income taxes for approved educational expenses. This usually includes private-school tuition as well as books, supplies, computers, tutors and transportation.

Even when tuition is not eligible for the credit or deduction, these programs still make school choice easier for parents because they relieve the burden of non-tuition expenses at private schools. Some programs restrict the income level of eligible recipients or the amount they can claim.

Examples: Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois

Charter Schools
Charter schools are public schools, created and managed by charitable organizations, that are exempted from many state regulations in exchange for results-based accountability to an oversight body.

Charter school laws vary widely across the nation with regard to autonomy, regulations and accountability requirements.

Forty-one states and the District of Columbia have charter school laws, with about 3,400 schools serving almost a million children.

Home Schooling
Individual parents or groups of parents may choose to educate their children at home instead of in traditional public or private schools. An estimated 2 million children are home schooled each year.