The Rapid Growth of Missouri's MOScholars Voucher Program

A program growing much faster than enrollment

In just four years, Missouri's MOScholars program has grown from serving 1,363 students to 6,411 students.

Public school enrollment has changed relatively little over the same period, declining from roughly 919,000 students in 2015 to about 891,000 in 2023, a drop of about 3%, most of it during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, voucher participation has increased by more than 370% in four years.

The funding model has changed

The program's funding has also changed significantly.

For its first several years, scholarships were funded through tax-credit-supported private donations. Nonprofits collected contributions and distributed them to eligible students, while donors could claim a 100% credit against their Missouri state tax liability.

Beginning in FY2026, the state appropriated $50 million in general revenue directly to the program, with $10 million more in the budget for FY2027.

State aid to public schools totals about $4.3 billion annually through the foundation formula, meaning the FY2026 appropriation for vouchers represents roughly 1.16% of annual state aid. Based on the 6,411 scholarships awarded and $43.5 million distributed in SY 2025-26, the average scholarship works out to approximately $6,780 per student. Individual awards are capped at the State Adequacy Target, which was $7,145 for the current fiscal year and is projected to fall to roughly $6,900 next year.

Why enrollment does not always reduce costs

It might seem that if fewer students attend a public school, the district should simply spend less money. The thing is, in practice, when a student leaves, many of the district's operating costs remain.

School buildings still need to be heated and maintained. Bus routes still have to run. Administrative staff are still needed, and classrooms still require a teacher even if a few seats are empty.

This difference between declining revenue and relatively stable costs can be especially challenging for smaller and rural districts, where there is often less flexibility to reduce spending.

Missouri's MOScholars program has expanded rapidly over a short period, both in the number of students served and in its reliance on state funding. That growth has occurred at a time when public school enrollment has remained comparatively stable, and it comes as the program transitions from privately donated, tax-credit-supported funds to direct appropriations from general revenue, a shift that ties its cost more directly to the state budget going forward.

Because a significant share of public school expenses, such as facilities, transportation, and staffing, do not scale down in step with enrollment losses, the fiscal effects of this shift will likely be felt unevenly across the state, with smaller and rural districts facing the least flexibility to adjust. If MOScholars continues to grow, its long-term costs and its relationship to public school funding merit continuous, careful tracking.