This week is national school choice week, a yearly tradition that educates parents on the principles of school choice and educational freedom.
34 states plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico now have some type of school choice program and 19 states currently have universal eligibility, with at least four more states joining in the near future after a phase-in period concludes.
Additionally, with expansion of school choice into Texas last year, a majority of American school children now have access to school choice.
Together, all these successes represent a landmark year for the advancement of educational freedom.
Below is just a short list of the all the state educational choice programs culminating or starting in 2026
Signed into law in 2025, the Texas Education Savings Account Program is a major win for Texas families and is set to launch during the 2026-2027 school year. This makes Texas just the 16th state to pass a universal school program. Texas’ program fund is $1 billion at launch, the largest initial ESA funding cap in history.
Enacted in 2025, Wyoming’s Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act expands the state’s ESA program to universal eligibility, making Wyoming the 15th state to offer full educational freedom. Beginning in the 2025–26 school year, all families can apply for $7,000 per student to spend on approved educational expenses.
Signed into law on February 12, 2025, the Tennessee Education Freedom Act provides families with a maximum amount of $7,296 per student.
Louisiana’s first ESA program, the LA GATOR Scholarship Program, kicked off in 2025. The universal-access program allows all K–12 students to use state-funded ESA accounts for tuition, tutoring, or personalized learning. Scholarship amounts are tied to the state’s minimum foundation program (MFP) formula average (currently $9,533). Students with disabilities can receive up to $15,253 (160% of MFP), students with Students from families at or below 250% of the federal poverty level can receive up to $7,626 (80% of MFP), and all other eligible students can receive $5,243 (55% of MFP).
In 2025, Idaho enacted House Bill 93 establishing the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit, a refundable ESA-style tax credit worth up to $5,000 per child (or $7,500 for special needs students).
Georgia’s Promise Scholarship Promise Act launched at the start of the 2025-2026 school year. Eligibility for the program is limited to students enrolled in the bottom 25% of Georgia’s public schools, as ranked by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, and gives parents $6,500 per year for approved education expense.
Signed in 2024 and launching for the 2025–26 school year, Alabama’s Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education (CHOOSE) Act creates a statewide ESA program offering up to $7,000 per student for private schooling or $2,000 for homeschoolers.
Kevin Garcia-Galindo is an Education Policy Analyst at Americans for Prosperity.
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