Cleveland Scholarship Program (CSP)

Last verified: October 2026

Who can use the Cleveland Scholarship in 2026-27?

Any child entering kindergarten through 12th grade who lives inside the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) boundary can apply, whether the child now attends CMSD, a charter school, a private school or no school yet. There is no income limit, no lottery and no requirement to have attended a public school first.

The district boundary decides it, and district lines do not always follow postal addresses, so if your home is near the edge of the city, confirm with CMSD before you plan around the program.

How much does the Cleveland Scholarship pay for 2026-27?

For 2026-27 a child in grades K through 8 can receive up to $6,166 and a high school student up to $8,408. If the school's tuition is lower, the award drops to match it. DEW mails the check to the school, and the parent signs it over.

Those figures match EdChoice, but the Cleveland Scholarship does not shrink as income rises. A Tremont family earning $250,000 receives the same award as a family earning $40,000.

Can a Cleveland school bill us for tuition above the scholarship?

It depends on grade and income. For a K-8 child in a household DEW has confirmed at 200% of poverty or less ($66,000 for four people in 2026-27), the school cannot charge tuition beyond the scholarship once your income is verified. High school families, and families above that line, can be billed the difference.

That high-school rule is stricter than EdChoice, where verified low-income families are protected in every grade. Fees for registration, materials and activities are always the family's.

How do we apply for the Cleveland Scholarship?

Get accepted at a participating private school first. You then give the school a signed Scholarship Request Form, a certified birth certificate and proof of address dated within 90 days, such as a utility bill with matching service and mailing addresses. The school files the application in DEW's online system.

Applications for 2026-27 are accepted from February 1, 2026 until June 30, 2027. Verifying income is optional; it only matters if a K-8 family wants the low-income protection.

Does the October 2026 EdChoice ruling affect the Cleveland Scholarship?

The lawsuit targets EdChoice, not the Cleveland program. The Diocese of Cleveland's guidance after the 2025 trial-court ruling said the Cleveland Scholarship, the Jon Peterson Scholarship and the Autism Scholarship are separate programs and were not affected, and the Cleveland program's federal challenge was already settled by the U.S. Supreme Court in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris in 2002.

Renewal still has conditions: stay inside the district, take every required state test and file the renewal form each year.

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