Indiana school voucher use has flipped from low-income families to more high-income families using them

Indiana's school voucher program, known as the Choice Scholarship, saw a shift in usage patterns in the 2025-26 school year. While overall enrollment remained steady at around 80,000 students, the program experienced a notable change in the families receiving vouchers. For the first time, more vouchers went to families earning more than $100,000 compared to those earning less than $100,000.

This shift drew criticism from public education advocates who argue that vouchers benefit families who can already afford tuition. However, some proponents of the program suggest that these criticisms fail to consider the needs of larger families, of whom 72% participate in the program with household sizes between 4 and 6 members.

This year saw a slight increase in the number of students who had attended a public school before receiving a voucher, with around 2,000 new students joining the program. The majority of students, however, were new to public schooling and had not previously attended. Contrary to past years, the number of vouchers awarded to families earning less than $50,000 decreased, from 16,000 in 2024-25 to approximately 12,000 in 2025-26, while the number of vouchers for families within the $100,000-$150,000 and $150,000-$200,000 income brackets increased. The program received $548 million in funding for 2025-26, up from $497 million the previous year.