Maryland BOOST Scholarship: Eligibility, Award Amounts, and How to Apply

Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) provides state-funded tuition assistance for Maryland students attending participating nonpublic schools. Administered by MSDE under annual state budget appropriations, it is neither a universal voucher nor an education savings account. Funding is capped each year at roughly $9 million, and demand exceeds available funds, so qualifying does not ensure an award.

Eligibility requires three things: qualifying for USDA Free or Reduced-Price Meals (under 185% of poverty), holding an active acceptance or enrollment letter from a participating private school, and entering grades K-12. Pre-K is excluded by statute. State reviewers verify household size and earnings directly against your prior-year federal 1040 return.

Awards vary based on meal status, prior schooling, grade, and special education needs. In 2025-2026, students leaving public school received $4,750 (Free Meals) or $3,750 (Reduced Meals). Students already in private school received $1,600 or $1,200. High schoolers received an extra $3,000, and students with verified special education services had their base award doubled. Advisory Board updates for FY2027 finalize award amounts ahead of each school year.

Yes. The Maryland General Assembly funded BOOST at $9.0 million for FY2027 under Chapter 4 (SB 282, approved April 8, 2026). Demand remains extremely high: during 2025-2026, MSDE committed over $9.5 million of its $9.7 million available pool, leaving only $233,355 by mid-December. While lawmakers have preserved the program annually, funding depends on annual budget approval in Annapolis.

No. BOOST is rationed by its budget, and it is heavily oversubscribed. For 2025-2026, MSDE received 6,381 applications and found 4,249 applicants income-eligible, but funded only 2,796 awards. Priority goes to prior-year recipients and their siblings, then students who previously attended public school, then Free Meals applicants over Reduced Meals applicants. Students with the lowest incomes are served first. Many eligible families are not funded.

The 2026-2027 parent application window ran from March 9 to May 8, 2026, and has now closed. Based on prior cycles, the next window is expected around March 2027. Use the time now to gather your documents: your federal 1040, your FARMs eligibility status, and an acceptance letter from a participating nonpublic school. Confirm exact dates on the MSDE BOOST page before the window opens.

No. The scholarship may only be used at a nonpublic school that has chosen to participate in BOOST. To participate, a school must hold a certificate of approval from or be registered with the State Board of Education and be approved for the Nonpublic Textbook Program. Confirm a school participates before assuming BOOST will cover tuition there.

Yes. Students receiving special-education services receive an additional award equal to their base award, which roughly doubles it. For FY2026, 228 students received this special-education adjustment (averaging $2,499). The FY2027 legislative floor for special-education awards is $569,800, down from the $617,522 FY2026 directive because 56 students declined awards and schools could not verify special-education services for 35 students, so the legislature reset the floor to the actual amount disbursed. This still depends on the program being funded and on you securing an award.

The award is paid by check sent to the school, not to the family. You (the parent or guardian) come to the school to sign the back of the check. The award cannot exceed your tuition after other financial aid is applied, so BOOST reduces what you owe rather than paying you directly.

MSDE audits your family's filed federal 1040 return to cross-check household dependents and line 11 adjusted gross income against USDA poverty benchmarks. Even if your child receives free school lunch today under schoolwide CEP rules, you still have to submit tax paperwork to verify individual eligibility.

No. Maryland has never established universal vouchers or private school ESAs. BOOST remains a narrowly targeted, means-tested grant program funded entirely through annual state budget line items, with awards strictly limited to lower-income households.

Yes, but grant values are significantly smaller. For the 2025-2026 school year, returning private school students received base grants of $1,200 or $1,600, compared to $3,750 or $4,750 for children leaving public schools. In addition, when budget caps trigger rationing, students transferring from public school systems take statutory priority.

Organize three records well before the March window opens: your most recently filed federal tax return (IRS Form 1040), an official admissions or re-enrollment letter from a participating nonpublic school, and your student's IEP, 504 plan, or private psychological evaluation confirming special-education needs.