Every way to pay for private school in Southwest Ohio
12 programs and aid sources for families in Hamilton, Butler, Warren and Clermont counties: who qualifies, what each pays, and when to apply.
Last verified: October 2026
What can pay for private school in Greater Cincinnati in 2026-27?
For kindergarten through 12th grade, the voucher comes first: EdChoice (traditional or Expansion) worth as much as $6,166 in K-8 and $8,408 in high school. Students with IEPs can use Jon Peterson or the Autism Scholarship instead. Locally based SGOs, Catholic Education Foundation grants and College Credit Plus add more, while Preschool Promise, the Ohio Preschool Program and county child care aid cover the years before kindergarten.
EdChoice Expansion Scholarship
Ohio's income-scaled voucher. Every K-12 child in Hamilton, Butler, Warren and Clermont counties can apply; homes at or under 450% of poverty receive the whole $6,166 (K-8) or $8,408 (9-12), and the amount tapers above that line.
Eligibility and amounts →Designated buildings · no income testTraditional EdChoice Scholarship
The original, building-based EdChoice. A child who would be assigned to a designated public building qualifies at any income, and 45 of 62 open Cincinnati Public Schools buildings are on the 2026-27 list.
Eligibility and amounts →IEP needed · up to $34,000Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship (JPSN)
Ohio's scholarship for children with disabilities, from preschool age through 21. The ETR's primary category sets the 2026-27 value, anywhere from $10,045 up to $34,000, and the money follows the child to a registered private provider.
Eligibility and amounts →Autism · $34,000Autism Scholarship Program
Ohio runs a second disability scholarship just for autism. Its FY2027 cap is $34,000, paid on the child's behalf to a participating provider for planned special education and related services.
Eligibility and amounts →Donor-funded · state creditOhio SGO Tax-Credit Scholarships
Donor-funded scholarship pools certified each year by Ohio's Attorney General. A donor's gift is credited against Ohio income tax up to $750 ($1,500 joint), and ten such funds based in Greater Cincinnati hold 2026 certification, most connected to Catholic schools.
Eligibility and amounts →New · January 2027Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (2027)
Starting with 2027 gifts, donors to an approved SGO in an opted-in state can claim as much as $1,700 against federal tax. Ohio made the IRS's June 2026 list of participating states.
Eligibility and amounts →Grades 7-12 · state-fundedCollege Credit Plus for Private School Students
Private school students in grades 7 through 12 can take college classes for dual credit. If the state approves the family's request, a public college charges no tuition, and the high school's EdChoice payment stays as it is.
Eligibility and amounts →Ages 3-4 · CPS districtCincinnati Preschool Promise
A voter-approved Cincinnati Public Schools levy program that gives tuition assistance for two years of preschool to 3- and 4-year-olds who live inside the CPS district, at participating community and CPS preschools.
Eligibility and amounts →Ages 0-12 · income-basedOhio Preschool Program & County Child Care Subsidies
For families anywhere in the four counties: the Ohio Preschool Program for children under kindergarten age up to 200% of poverty, publicly funded child care below 145% at entry, and the Child Care Choice Voucher between 145% and 200%.
Eligibility and amounts →Catholic schools · need-basedArchdiocese of Cincinnati Tuition Aid (CEF & CISE)
Two archdiocesan sources sit behind EdChoice at Catholic schools: Catholic Education Foundation grants for preschool through 8th grade, applied for through FACTS, and CISE support for families at eleven inner-city Catholic schools.
Eligibility and amounts →Set by each schoolSchool-Based Tuition Assistance
The money a school controls itself: need-based grants, parishioner and sibling rates, work-study and monthly payment plans. At pricier schools it is usually what bridges the distance between tuition and the voucher.
Eligibility and amounts →Partner fundEdu Fund Partner Scholarship
Privately raised help for families choosing one of our participating church or community partner schools, meant for the balance after the voucher and the school's aid. A counselor confirms the terms in your funding check.
Eligibility and amounts →Calculators and explainers
EdChoice Expansion calculator
Household size and income in, DEW's FY27 formula out.
Open →ToolExpansion amounts by income
The award at each poverty step, with dollar incomes for three- and four-person homes.
Open →ToolDesignated public buildings
All 70 buildings in the four counties that open traditional EdChoice.
Open →ToolWhat EdChoice pays for
Tuition, fees, aftercare, preschool, homeschool and Kentucky: the rule for each.
Open →ToolOhio vs federal tax-credit timing
When the Ohio SGO credit and the 2027 federal credit apply.
Open →Dates to put on the calendar
- Oct 14, 2026Already passed: any EdChoice or Expansion application filed after this date is paid at a prorated amount for the weeks of 2026-27 that are left
- Nov 1, 20265 p.m. cutoff for parents of private school students to request College Credit Plus money for spring 2027 classes
- Jan 1, 2027Gifts to a qualifying scholarship granting organization start counting toward the new federal credit; Ohio is a participating state
- Feb 1, 2027College Credit Plus funding requests for the full 2027-28 year open in the parent's OH|ID account
- Late winter 2027Watch for the Catholic Education Foundation's FACTS deadline for 2027-28 K-8 grants; the 2026-27 cycle closed February 28, 2026
- Apr 1, 20275 p.m. cutoff for full-year 2027-28 College Credit Plus funding requests from private school families
- Apr 15, 2027Final day for an Ohio SGO gift to count on a 2026 Ohio income tax return
- Jun 30, 2027The 2026-27 EdChoice and EdChoice Expansion application window closes
Find out which programs fit your child
Five short questions, about two minutes. A Cincinnati tuition counselor follows up with the scholarships, aid and dates that apply to you.