To renew your child’s Ohio EdChoice scholarship, complete the current year’s EdChoice Scholarship Renewal Form, attach proof of your Ohio address dated within the last 90 days, and give the packet to the participating private school your child attends. The school enters the renewal into the state’s online scholarship system on your behalf. For the 2025–2026 school year, the state’s application window stays open through June 30, 2026, but submit well before that date so funding does not lapse.1Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. How to Apply for EdChoice Expansion
Who the Renewal Form Is For
The renewal form is only for students currently receiving a Traditional EdChoice or EdChoice Expansion scholarship. If your child has never held one, or lost it and sat out a year, you need a full initial application instead.
To stay eligible on renewal, your child must take every state assessment required for their grade, keep unexcused absences at 20 or fewer for the school year, and remain an Ohio resident.1Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. How to Apply for EdChoice Expansion For Traditional EdChoice, the student’s resident district must also still qualify under state law; a renewing student can continue through grade 12 as long as the resident district still qualifies, or a move puts them in a district that would assign them to a qualifying building.2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code Section 3310.03
What to Gather Before You Fill It Out
Pull these together first:
- The current year’s EdChoice Scholarship Renewal Form, downloaded from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce’s EdChoice Resources page. Translated versions are posted in Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, and Haitian Creole.3Ohio Department of Education. EdChoice Resources
- Your child’s full legal name, date of birth, and Statewide Student Identifier (SSID) if you have it. The SSID lets the state match the renewal to the existing scholarship record.
- The name of the participating private school your child will attend next year.
- Proof of your current Ohio address, dated within 90 days of submission.
- If you’re renewing an EdChoice Expansion scholarship, a federal or state 1040. As of July 1, 2025, those are the only income documents the state accepts.4Ohio Department of Education. EdChoice Scholarship
Traditional EdChoice families do not submit income documents at all. State law prohibits the department from requiring income verification for Traditional EdChoice applicants or recipients.2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code Section 3310.03
Proof of Address: Where Most Renewals Trip
Every renewal needs documentation of Ohio residency, dated within 90 days of submission and showing the name of the parent or guardian on the form. The state accepts one of three options.5Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Acceptable Proof of Address for Scholarship Programs
Option 1. A current utility bill for electric, gas, water, sewer, cable or internet, or sanitation, in the parent or guardian’s name, with matching service and mailing addresses. Cell phone bills and PO boxes don’t qualify, except for the narrow case of rural residents who only have a PO box.
Option 2. A monthly mortgage statement less than 90 days old, or a lease signed by both parties, paired with a piece of current business mail (pay stub, bank statement, insurance statement) in the parent’s name at the same address. Credit card solicitations and handwritten items don’t count.
Option 3. If no utilities are in your name because you live with someone else, submit all three of: a notarized statement from that person confirming you live there, a current utility bill in that person’s name with matching service and mailing addresses, and a piece of current business mail addressed to you.
Mismatched names and expired dates are the usual reasons renewals get kicked back. Check that the name on the bill exactly matches the name on the renewal form, and that the document is less than 90 days old, before you turn anything in.
Income Verification for EdChoice Expansion
EdChoice Expansion is income-based, so your household income decides whether you receive the full award or a prorated amount. Families at or below 450 percent of the federal poverty level receive the maximum scholarship. Families above that line receive a reduced amount on a sliding scale.6Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. EdChoice Expansion
For 2026, the 450 percent threshold for a family of four is $148,500. Families under 200 percent of the poverty line ($66,000 for a family of four) may qualify for the scholarship to cover tuition in full at participating schools.7School Choice Ohio. EdChoice Income-Based (Expansion) Scholarship The main household-size figures:
- 2 persons: 200% = $43,280; 450% = $97,380
- 3 persons: 200% = $54,640; 450% = $122,940
- 4 persons: 200% = $66,000; 450% = $148,500
- 5 persons: 200% = $77,360; 450% = $174,060
- 6 persons: 200% = $88,720; 450% = $199,620
- 7 persons: 200% = $100,080; 450% = $225,180
For households over seven, add $11,360 per additional person at the 200 percent line and $25,560 at the 450 percent line.7School Choice Ohio. EdChoice Income-Based (Expansion) Scholarship
You can submit income information on paper or through the state’s online Income Verification portal, which lets you enter household members and upload documents electronically.8Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Income Verification Quick Guide Since July 2025, only federal or state 1040 forms are accepted; a W-2 alone will no longer satisfy the requirement.4Ohio Department of Education. EdChoice Scholarship
How to Submit the Packet
You don’t send the renewal form to the state. Give the completed form and your proof of address to the participating private school your child attends or will attend. Only participating private schools can access the state’s secure online scholarship application system, and the school enters the renewal there.1Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. How to Apply for EdChoice Expansion
Once the school submits, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce reviews the file. If residency proof falls short or something is missing, the state asks for more information. Respond quickly so the scholarship is confirmed before classes start. Check on status through the school’s front office.
If Your Child Is Changing Schools
Switching schools doesn’t force a fresh application. Finish admissions at the new school first. Once your child is accepted, hand the new school the renewal form and your proof of current address, and they’ll submit through the online system the same way the previous school would have.1Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. How to Apply for EdChoice Expansion Enrollment has to be confirmed first; without it, the school has nothing to enter.
Shared Custody, Foster Care, and Who Signs
When parents share custody, the parent the court names as “parent of residence” is the one who renews. If a court order grants both parents equal decision-making authority over the child’s welfare, either parent may submit the renewal, but you’ll need to include a copy of the legal document showing equal parenting rights.
For a student in foster care or under court-ordered custody, eligibility follows the school district the court has made financially responsible for the student’s education, not the caregiver’s address. For Traditional EdChoice this is what matters: if the court-assigned district qualifies, the student qualifies, no matter where the foster parent or guardian lives.