UPDATE (May 9, 2025):
The Missouri General Assembly has included $50 million in the state budget to expand the MOScholars program. This reflects growing support for educational freedom in Missouri. With this investment, Missouri joins 16 other states that have publicly funded private school choice programs.
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As Missouri’s budget conference committee finalizes its priorities, one investment stands out as both strategic and essential: restoring the governor’s proposed $50 million for the MOScholars program in House Bill 12. This tax credit–funded scholarship initiative expands educational opportunity across the state, especially for students who need it most. In recent polling, two out of three Missourians expressed support for the MOScholars program, and it’s time for the state to commit to it.
MOScholars provides scholarships to eligible K–12 students, particularly those from low-income families or with special educational needs, so that they can attend the school of their choice—whether public, private, or homeschool. By doing so, the program empowers parents, promotes educational freedom, and drives innovation across the education landscape.
Currently, the program is entirely donor funded. It was launched with a $25 million cap, and the six Missouri organizations that raise the funds and grant the scholarships have been working hard for the past few years to serve as many students as possible. The state committing to an appropriation of $50 million would help clear waiting lists, provide stability to scholarship-granting organizations, and ensure that more students can benefit from the learning environments that best suit them.
Giving families more options can lead to healthier competition, better outcomes, and stronger public education systems. States with robust choice programs have shown that when families are empowered, all schools—district, charter, and private—tend to improve.
Moreover, the scholarship expansion would especially benefit rural families, who too often are left out of school choice conversations. By including micro-schools and homeschool supports, MOScholars brings flexible options to small towns and agricultural communities where traditional alternatives are limited.
This is not just about education policy—it’s about economic opportunity, parental rights, and long-term prosperity. A child’s ZIP code or income level should not determine the quality of their education. Missouri’s leaders have the chance to deliver real change by restoring the $50 million commitment to the MOScholars program.
