Missouri

How it works

MOScholars is funded by donations to certified Educational Assistance Organizations, which earn donors a state tax credit, together with direct state appropriations. The Treasurer’s page says you choose an EAO and submit a pre-qualification application to it; the programme’s administration moved onto the Odyssey platform for 2026-27, so follow the current instructions on the How to Apply page.

Programme

MOScholars (Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program)

Administered by

Missouri State Treasurer, through certified Educational Assistance Organizations (EAOs). Odyssey was contracted in June 2026 to run applications, eligibility checks, payments and the marketplace from 2026-27.

Scholarship amount

Based on the state adequacy target calculated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The 2025-26 round awarded 6,418 scholarships worth more than $43 million.

For homeschoolers

Only some homeschooled students

Who qualifies

Missouri students who either have an IEP developed under IDEA (dated within 36 months), or live in a household with income at or below 300% of the free and reduced-price lunch standard and attended a public school full time for at least one semester in the previous twelve months, are entering kindergarten or first grade, or are a sibling of a current recipient. A homeschooled child with no public school semester in the past twelve months qualifies only through the IEP route, as a new kindergartener or first-grader, or as a sibling of a recipient.

How to apply

1. Confirm your child is eligible — see "Who qualifies" above. This money is awarded through an approved scholarship organisation, not paid into a parent's account.
2. Check this year's window. The main 2026-27 window ran 1 October 2025 to 3 April 2026 and is closed. The Treasurer said an additional summer 2026 window was planned; check the Treasurer’s page to see whether any places remain. No 2027-28 date had been announced when we checked on 18 September 2026 — last year’s window opened on 1 October. Dates move every year, so confirm on the official page before you plan around them.
3. Apply through the organisation and gather proof of income and residency if the programme is income-limited.
4. Spending. Curriculum is a listed scholarship use, along with tutoring, tests, and technology an EAO approves. Consumable supplies such as pens and paper are not. Confirm with your EAO before you order.

Official programme page: treasurer.mo.gov/MOScholars/ParentsStudents. Amounts, deadlines and eligibility are set by the state and change every year — always confirm there before you plan around them.

Sources

Checked 18 September 2026 against these sources:

• treasurer.mo.gov/MOScholars/ParentsStudents
• treasurer.mo.gov/MOScholars/HowToApply.aspx
• treasurer.mo.gov/newsroom/news-and-events-item (1)
• treasurer.mo.gov/newsroom/news-and-events-item (2)
• treasurer.mo.gov/newsroom/news-and-events-item (3)
• prnewswire.com/news-releases/missouri-partners-with-odyssey-to-modernize-mosch…