Traditional EdChoice Scholarship

Last verified: October 2026

Which Cincinnati-area public buildings make a child eligible for traditional EdChoice?

For 2026-27, DEW designated 70 open buildings in our four counties: 45 in Cincinnati Public Schools, 8 in Middletown City, 4 in Hamilton City, 4 in Mount Healthy, 4 in North College Hill, 3 in New Miami and 2 in Lockland. Neither Warren nor Clermont County has a designated building.

A child who would be assigned to one of those buildings qualifies whether or not the child attends it today, and income is never checked for eligibility.

When is traditional EdChoice worth more than Expansion for a Cincinnati family?

Whenever the household earns above 450% of poverty. Traditional EdChoice always pays the full $6,166 or $8,408, while Expansion shrinks above that income. Below 450% the two pay the same, so the difference is mostly about higher-earning families in designated attendance zones, such as parts of the CPS district.

Families who verify income at or below 200% of poverty get the same protection under either program: no tuition bill beyond the award.

Can a sibling or foster child in Cincinnati qualify without a designated building?

Yes. DEW's list also covers siblings of a student who held a traditional scholarship last year, foster children and children in certified foster homes, children placed with a guardian, custodian or kinship caregiver, children who would otherwise have been homeless, and former Autism or Jon Peterson students who no longer need special education.

Ohio's sibling definition is wide. It includes half- and step-siblings, cousins in the home, and any child under 18 who has lived in the household for 45 consecutive days in the last calendar year.

What happens to traditional EdChoice if we move out of the CPS district?

It follows the building assignment, so a move to a district with no designated building generally ends traditional eligibility. Moving from Westwood to Anderson Township, for example, would mean switching to Expansion, which keeps paying anywhere in Ohio outside Cleveland but is income-scaled.

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