Student Funding

Use of Funds 

Qualifying expenses include tuition and fees. 

Funding Amount and Source 

For students who began participating in the program in the 2015–2016 school year or later, this program receives funding from the appropriations for state aid to public schools. The state pays the full voucher amount using funds that it withholds from the state aid payment to the school district. Voucher amounts are calculated so that the state pays the equivalent of a portion of the state and local per-pupil funding under the state’s funding formula. As a result, maximum voucher payments increase as general school aid to Wisconsin public schools increases. For students who began participating in the program before the 2015–2016 school year, a separate appropriation pays for the voucher amounts. In 2023, Wisconsin policymakers took the positive step of increasing the voucher amounts to be closer to per-pupil spending at district schools. Voucher students will now receive approximately 73% of per-pupil funding at the public schools. In 2024–2025, the maximum voucher amount is $10,237 for grades K–8 and $12,731 for grades 9–12. Any qualifying Racine K–12 student that wishes to participate may receive funding. Parents of students in grades 9–12 that have an income greater than 220% of the Federal Poverty Level ($68,640 for a family of four in 2024–2025) may be charged additional tuition exceeding the voucher amount. 

(Last updated July 10, 2024) 

Student Eligibility

Students from families with household incomes up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) ($93,600 for a family of four in 2024–2025) are eligible for vouchers. Moreover, a family’s income limit eligibility increases by $7,000 if the student’s parents or legal guardians are married. Students who are continuing in the program from previous years, and those who were on a school’s waiting list in the prior year because the school did not have space available, do not need to demonstrate income eligibility. In addition to the income limit, students must have been either (1) enrolled in a public school or home school in the previous year; (2) not enrolled in school in the previous year; (3) enrolled in a private school under the voucher program in the previous year; (4) be entering kindergarten, 1st grade or 9th grade; or (5) attended school in a different state in the previous year. If an applying student has a sibling already in the private school the applicant wishes to attend, he or she will receive preference in the event of an enrollment lottery. 

(Last updated July 10, 2024) 

EdChoice Expert Feedback

Wisconsin’s voucher for low-income students in Racine helps thousands of students access schools that are the right fit for them, but policymakers could do more to expand educational opportunity. Eligibility for the scholarships is limited to students from families in Racine earning up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level ($90,000 for a family of four in 2023–24). About two-thirds of Racine students are income-eligible to receive a scholarship. Statewide, less than 5 percent of students participate in one of Wisconsin’s private educational choice options (including the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, the Statewide Parental Choice Program the Special Needs Scholarship Program, and the K-12 Private School Tuition Deduction). This is the third highest EdChoice share in the nation. The average scholarship size is about $10,500, which is about three-quarters of the average expenditure per student at Wisconsin’s district schools. In 2023, Wisconsin policymakers took the positive step of increasing the voucher amounts to be closer to per-pupil spending at district schools. Voucher students will now receive approximately 76% of per pupil funding at the public schools. Policymakers should also expand eligibility to all students. The program could also be converted into an education savings account to ensure that all students have access to the education that’s the right fit for them, whether private school or a customized course of education. The Racine voucher program has some unnecessary and counterproductive regulations. For example, the program requires voucher students in certain grades to take the state’s standardized test. Instead of mandating a single test, policymakers should allow parents and schools to choose from a variety of nationally norm-referenced tests. Policymakers should also amend the program so that it no longer interferes with schools’ admissions standards. (Last updated December 14, 2023)

Rules and Regulations

Program Guidelines

• Income Limit: 300% x FPL
• Prior Year Public School Requirement: Yes, with exceptions
• Enrollment Cap: None
• Voucher Cap: 2024– 25 School Year: $10,237 (K–8) / $12,731 (9–12)
• Testing Mandates: State test
• Special Needs Pathway: None

Participant and Family Guidelines

• Click Here for the Program Administrator’s Parent Handbook
• Education Requirements: N/A
• Parent Supplemented Funds/Scholarships: N/A
• Miscellaneous: N/A

Education Provider Guidelines

• Accreditation/Approval:
  • State or regional
  • If not already accredited, receive accreditation by December 31 of the third year of participating in the program
• Employment Standards:
  • School administrators must undergo financial training and have at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education
  • Teachers must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education, and teacher aides must have received a high school diploma or been granted a GED or HSED
  • Must administer background checks for all employees
• Nondiscrimination: Comply with state and federal nondiscrimination laws
• Calendar/Curriculum/Attendance: State approval
• Financial:
  • Submit to the state an annual financial audit conducted by a certified public accountant
  • Provide evidence of sound fiscal practices and financial viability to the state
• Miscellaneous:
  • Meet all health and safety codes that apply to public schools
  • Allow students to opt out of religious programs
  • Administer state testing to scholarship recipients in third, fourth, eighth, ninth, 10th and 11th grade
  • Provide at least 1,050 hours of direct pupil instruction in grades 1–6 and at least 1,137 hours of direct pupil instruction in grades 7–12
  • Must provide the state with information about the academic program at the participating schools and student test score data

(Last updated September 27, 2024)

Governing Statutes

Wis. Stat. § 118.60 

Governing Regulations 

Wis. Administrative Code Chapter PI 48 

(Last updated July 12, 2024) 

Legal History

No legal challenges have been filed against the program.

(Last updated July 12, 2024)