Louisiana Scholarship Program
School Requirements
- Private schools must be approved by the state to participate; Public schools must be rated “A” or “B” by the state
- Comply with health and safety codes
- Must not discriminate on basis of race, color, or national origin
- Must use an open admissions process in enrolling scholarship recipients
- Administer all LA state examinations required under the school and district accountability system
- To remain eligible to accept new students, a private school must receive a Scholarship Cohort Index of at least 50
- Private schools in operation less than two years cannot have more than 20 percent of students receiving scholarships
- Submit to the state an annual independent financial audit conducted by a certified public accountant
- Conduct criminal background checks on all school employees
- Private schools must maintain a curriculum of quality at least equal to that prescribed for public schools
Student Eligibility
- Louisiana resident
- Household income that does not exceed 250% of the federal poverty guidelines ($64,375 for a four-person household in 2019)
- Either entering kindergarten, enrolled in a public school with a C, D, F, or T grade on both October 1 and February 1 of the current school year or a continuing Scholarship student
Homeschool students and students in grades K-12 who currently attend nonpublic schools are not eligible.
When to Apply
The application period for the Louisiana Scholarship Program has closed. The application window for the 2021-2022 school year will open in November 2020.
The publicly funded Louisiana Scholarship Program is designed to provide students with additional opportunities to attend the school of their choice. Student applicants are eligible to receive state-funded scholarships to enroll in participating nonpublic schools or high-performing public schools.