Indiana School Choice Information
Cardinal Ritter High School is participating in Indiana’s new voucher program (authorized under IC 20-51-1 and IC 20-51-4). As described on the Indiana Department of Education's School Choice website: "A voucher, or 'Choice Scholarship,' is a state payment that qualifying families can use to offset tuition costs at participating schools. Students qualify based on total household income and the amount of the scholarship corresponds with the public school corporation in which the student lives."
What are the eligibility requirements for a Choice Scholarship?
To be eligible, a student must meet the following requirements:
- Have legal settlement in Indiana;
- Be accepted for enrollment into a participating school that is located in Indiana;
- Be between the ages of 5 and 22 no later than August 1 of the school year;
- Live in a household at or below the household income limits;
- Either:
- (A) Have been enrolled in an Indiana public school (grade 1 through 12, charters included) that did not charge the individual transfer tuition for at least two (2) semesters immediately preceding the application for a Choice Scholarship; or
- (B) Have received an SGO scholarship from one of the following in a previous school year:
- Educational Choice Charitable Trust
- School Scholarship Granting Organization of Northeast Indiana
- Tuition Assistance Fund of Southwestern Indiana
- North Central Indiana Scholarship Granting Organization
- Sagamore Institute.
In other words, a student that did not receive an SGO scholarship in kindergarten is not eligible for a Choice Scholarship until second grade (and must meet the two semesters requirement). Note also that the SGO scholarship requires that the student had been enrolled in public school in the previous year
What are the household income limits for the 2012-2013 school year?
| Household Size | 90% Voucher | 50% Voucher |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Annual Income | Gross Annual Income | |
| 1 | $20,665 | $30,997 |
| 2 | $27,991 | $41,986 |
| 3 | $35,317 | $52,975 |
| 4 | $42,643 | $63,964 |
| 5 | $49,969 | $74,953 |
| 6 | $57,295 | $85,942 |
| 7 | $64,621 | $96,931 |
| 8 | $71,947 | $107,920 |
*For a household size of nine (9) or more, add $7,326 to the annual limit for each additional member (or $611 to the monthly limit) for a 90% scholarship.
*For a household size of nine (9) or more, add $10,989 to the annual limit for each additional member (or $916 to the monthly limit) for a 50% scholarship.
*To determine household size and respective income limits include the following:
Parents
Grandparents
Children
Other relatives and unrelated people who live in your household
*Any misrepresentations of household income could affect the student's eligibility.
The link below contains information from the Department of Education regarding the program:
http://www.doe.in.gov/improvement/school-choice/choice-scholarships