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

BOOST stands for Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today. It is a Maryland scholarship, administered by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), that helps students who qualify for the federal free or reduced-price meals program (FARMs) pay tuition at a participating nonpublic (private) school. It is means-tested and the funding is capped, so not every eligible family receives an award.

To be eligible, a student must qualify for free or reduced-price meals (FARMs), be enrolled or accepted at a participating nonpublic school, and be entering grades kindergarten through 12th grade. Pre-K students are not eligible. MSDE verifies income and household size using the family prior-year federal 1040 tax return against USDA FARMs income guidelines.

For the 2025-2026 school year, base awards were $4,750 (Free Meals, previously attended public school), $3,750 (Reduced Meals, previously public), $1,600 (Free Meals, already in private school), and $1,200 (Reduced Meals, already private). High school students received an additional $3,000. Students receiving special-education services received an additional award equal to their base award. The exact 2026-2027 amounts are set by the BOOST Advisory Board in summer 2026 and were not yet published.

Yes. BOOST is funded at $9.0 million for FY2027 (the 2026-2027 school year), level with FY2026, in the state budget signed in April 2026, so the 2026-2027 cycle is going ahead. For 2025-2026, MSDE had $9,738,509 available ($9,000,000 appropriation plus $738,509 carried forward), and only $233,355 remained as of December 15, 2025. BOOST has faced repeated budget pressure: recent gubernatorial budgets have proposed cuts and phase-out language, and the General Assembly has restored funding each year. Confirm BOOST is funded for the year you need before counting on it.

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 35 schools failed to verify special-ed status, 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.

During the application, parents upload their prior-year federal 1040 tax return. MSDE uses that return to verify annual income and household size against the USDA income guidelines for free and reduced-price meals. If your child already receives free or reduced-price meals at school, that status reflects the same income standard BOOST uses.

No. Maryland does not have a universal school voucher or a universal education savings account (ESA). BOOST is the state's only private-school scholarship program, and it is means-tested, capped, and limited to families who qualify for FARMs. It is much smaller and more restricted than universal programs in some other states.

Possibly, but the awards are smaller. For 2025-2026, students already in private school received $1,600 (Free Meals) or $1,200 (Reduced Meals), compared with $4,750 or $3,750 for students transferring from public school. Priority also favors students who previously attended public school, so families already paying private tuition tend to rank lower for funding.

Three things. First, your most recent federal 1040 tax return, which MSDE uses to verify FARMs eligibility. Second, confirmation of your child's FARMs status or the income details that support it. Third, an acceptance or enrollment letter from a participating nonpublic school. If your child receives special-education services, keep that documentation ready too, since it affects the award.