Scholarship Program Participation
Louisiana Scholarship Program
The Louisiana Scholarship Program empowers low-income families to access the same opportunities that more affluent parents already have by providing them with the financial resources to send their children to the schools of their choice.
Launched in 2008 in New Orleans, the Louisiana Scholarship Program, formally known as the Student Scholarships for Education Excellence Program, was expended statewide in 2012. Annually, this program receives approximately 10,000 applications for a Scholarship and affords approximately 7,000 students the opportunity to enroll in a Scholarship-funded seat in a nonpublic school. Over 100 nonpublic schools participate in the program.
The application for the Louisiana Scholarship Program for the 2023-2024 school year will open on December 12th. A mandatory webinar for all participating schools will be held on December 6th at 2:00 p.m. Click the following link to join: https://ldoe.zoom.us/j/91277730075
To be eligible to participate in the Louisiana Scholarship Program, nonpublic schools must be both BESE approved and Brumfield v. Dodd compliant. BESE approval confirms that schools utilize a curriculum of quality at least equal that prescribed for similar public schools. Brumfield v. Dodd compliance confirms that BESE-approved nonpublic schools do not use racially discriminatory policies and practices.
All schools wishing to participate in the Louisiana Scholarship Program must complete two forms by October 30, 2021:
- 2022-2023 Louisiana Scholarship Program Notice of Intent
- 2022-2023 Nonpublic School Seeking BESE Approval Form
Public schools with a letter grade of A or B in the most recent school year and approval by the local superintendent are also eligible to participate.
Scholarship students must take the same assessments as students in public schools. Student achievement on these assessments is used to determine the status of a school’s continued participation in the program.
For participating schools, please see the contact charts below to find your LDOE point of contact:
If you have any questions, please reach out to our office at
Studentscholarships@la.gov. Please remember to include your point of contact in the subject line. Response time for emails is about 2 business days.
School Choice Program for Students with Exceptionalities
The School Choice Program enables students with exceptionalities to attend schools that can meet their unique needs. The program provides tuition assistance of up to 50% of the state per pupil funding for the student’s school district.
To be eligible to participate in the program, a non-public school must be both BESE approved and Brumfield v. Dodd compliant. In addition, eligible schools must be located in a parish with a recent census population greater than 190,000 residents and must be prepared to serve students with exceptionalities, as demonstrated by a history of serving students with exceptionalities over the past two years and teachers on staff who have appropriate certificates in special education.
All schools wishing to participate in the School Choice Program must complete two forms by October 30th, 2021:
- 2022-2023 Louisiana School Choice Program Notice of Intent
- 2022-2023 Nonpublic School Seeking BESE Approval Form
More information about participation requirements can be found in the School Choice Program FAQ.
For any questions about either scholarship program, contact studentscholarships@la.gov.