MOScholars: Parents and Students
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MOScholars was established by the Missouri General Assembly in 2021 to provide educational opportunities and resources to Missouri students and families. The program provides options for eligible families, allowing them to seek an array of alternative educational services ranging from private schools to therapeutic services.

The law provides state tax credits for contributions to approved, non-profit Educational Assistance Organizations (EAOs). These EAOs use the contributions to award scholarships to Missouri students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and students living in low-income households.

Student Eligibility

Per statute, a qualified student must be an elementary or secondary school student who is a Missouri resident and resides in a county with a charter form of government or a city with at least 30,000 residents. A list of these eligible counties and cities is available here.

Qualified students must also meet one of the following criteria:

  1. Have an approved “individualized education plan” developed under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The term “individualized education plan” means:
    1. An individualized education program (IEP) as defined in 20 U.S.C. §1414(d)(I)(A)(i); or
    2. An individual service plan (ISP) that is developed in cooperation with a local educational agency under the IDEA, specifically those provisions pertaining to parentally placed private school children found in 20 U.S.C. §1412(a)(10) and 34 CFR §300.132(b).
    Any IEP or ISP that is proffered for program eligibility must be dated within thirty-six months of the date of the student’s application to the program. Students with ISPs that are not developed under the IDEA are not eligible.
  2. Is a member of a household whose total annual income does not exceed an amount equal to 100% of the income standard used to qualify for free and reduced lunches, and meets at least one of the following:
    • Attended a public school as a full-time student for at least one semester during the previous twelve months; or
    • Is a child who is eligible to begin kindergarten or first grade.

If funding remains available after all students who meet these qualifications have been served, then the next category of qualified student is any student who:

  1. Is a member of a household whose total annual income does not exceed 200% of the standard used to qualify for free and reduced lunches and meets at least one of the following qualifications:
    • Attended a public school as a full-time student for at least one (1) semester during the previous twelve (12) months; or
    • Is a child who is eligible to begin kindergarten or first grade.

Income eligibility guidelines are determined annually by the federal government. You can find that information here.

Income Eligibility Guidelines image

How to Apply to MOScholars

Parents and students interested in applying to MOScholars should carefully review the Parent Handbook for eligibility criteria, eligible expenses, and other MOScholars program criteria. Next, parents and students identify and contact a certified EAO partnering with the school the student wishes to attend. EAOs are responsible for prescreening students for eligibility, and then providing access to the online MOScholars application.

A list of certified EAOs can be found at: https://treasurer.mo.gov/MOScholars/EAOs.

To learn more about each EAO and the schools they partner with, please contact the EAO directly.

To learn more about home school student requirements, visit the MOScholars Schools page.

Scholarship Awards

Qualified students may receive scholarship funding up to the state adequacy target (SAT) as defined in section 163.011 and calculated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

For the 2023-2024 school year, the SAT is $6,375.

Scholarship Uses

Scholarships may be used on the following:

  • Tuition and fees at a qualified school;
  • Textbooks required by a qualified school;
  • Educational therapies or services from a licensed or accredited practitioner or provider including, but not limited to, licensed or accredited paraprofessionals or educational aides;
  • Tutoring services;
  • Curriculum;
  • Tuition or fees for a private, virtual school;
  • Fees for a nationally standardized norm-referenced achievement test, advanced placement examinations, international baccalaureate examinations, or any examinations related to college or university admission;
  • Account Transaction fees;
  • Services provided by a public school including, but not limited to, individual classes and extracurricular programs;
  • Computer hardware or other technological devices that are used to help meet the qualified student’s educational needs and that are approved by an educational assistance organization;
  • Fees for summer education programs and specialized after-school education programs;
  • Transportation costs for mileage to and from a qualified school.

Scholarships may not be used on the following:

  • Consumable educational supplies included, but not limited to, pens, pencils, paper, markers;
  • Tuition at a private school outside the state of Missouri;
  • Payments or reimbursements to any person related within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity to a qualified student.

Resources and Documents

FAQs

  • MOScholars was established by the Missouri General Assembly in 2021 to provide educational options to Missouri students and families. The law provides for state tax credits for contributions to approved, non-profit Education Assistance Organizations (EAOs). These EAOs use the contributions to award scholarships to eligible Missouri students.
  • MOScholars does not reduce the funding received by a student’s resident school district. Instead, student scholarships are funded with private donations leveraged by state tax credits.
  • Per statute, qualified students, in order of priority, are:
    • Any elementary or secondary school student who is a Missouri resident and resides in an eligible county or city (a county with a charter form of government or any city with at least 30,000 residents who:
      1. Has an approved "individualized education plan" (IEP) developed under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The term “individualized education plan” means:
        1. An individualized education program (IEP) as defined in 20 U.S.C. §1414(d)(I)(A)(i); or
        2. An individual service plan (ISP) that is developed in cooperation with a local educational agency under the IDEA, specifically those provisions pertaining to parentally placed private school children found in 20 U.S.C. §1412(a)(10) and 34 CFR §300.132(b).
        Any IEP or ISP that is proffered for program eligibility must be dated within thirty-six months of the date of the student’s application to the program. Students with ISPs that are not developed under the IDEA are not eligible. OR
      2. Lives in a household whose total annual income does not exceed 100% of the free and reduced lunch rate; and,
        • Attended a public school as a full-time student for at least one (1) semester during the previous twelve (12) months; or
        • Is a child who is eligible to begin kindergarten or first grade.
    • If funding remains available after all students who meet these qualifications have been served, then the next category of qualified student is any student who:
      1. Is a member of a household whose total annual income does not exceed 200% of the standard used to qualify for free and reduced lunches and meets at least one of the following qualifications:
        • Attended a public school as a full-time student for at least one (1) semester during the previous twelve (12) months; or
        • Is a child who is eligible to begin kindergarten or first grade.
  • Income standards for free and reduced lunch are issued by the federal government annually.
  • Eligible expenses include:
    • Tuition and fees at a qualified school;
    • Textbooks required by a qualified school;
    • Educational therapies or services from a licensed or accredited practitioner or provider including, but not limited to, licensed or accredited paraprofessionals or educational aides;
    • Tutoring services;
    • Curriculum;
    • Tuition or fees for a private, virtual school;
    • Fees for a nationally standardized norm-referenced achievement test, advanced placement examinations, international baccalaureate examinations, or any examinations related to college or university admission;
    • Account Transaction fees;
    • Services provided by a public school including, but not limited to, individual classes and extracurricular programs;
    • Computer hardware or other technological devices that are used to help meet the qualified student’s educational needs and that are approved by an educational assistance organization;
    • Fees for summer education programs and specialized after-school education programs;
    • Transportation costs for mileage to and from a qualified school.
  • Scholarships may not be used on the following:
    • Consumable educational supplies included, but not limited to, pens, pencils, paper, markers
    • Tuition at a private school outside the state of Missouri
    • Payments or reimbursements to any person related within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity to a qualified student
  • Parents and students interested in applying to MOScholars should carefully review the Parent Handbook for eligibility criteria, eligible expenses, and other MOScholars program criteria. Next, parents and students identify and contact a certified EAO partnering with the school the student wishes to attend. EAOs are responsible for prescreening students for eligibility, and then providing access to the online MOScholars application.
  • A list of certified EAOs can be found at: https://treasurer.mo.gov/MOScholars/EAOs.

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