✨ Quick Summary
- What it is: MOScholars is Missouri's education savings account program, funded by donor tax credits instead of the state education budget. Awards average around $6,000 – $7,000 per student.
- Who qualifies: Missouri K-12 students with an approved IEP, or students under the income cap who also meet one of three enrollment conditions.
- How you get paid: Funds are awarded while donations last, then managed through your Odyssey account.
- How to spend it: Shop approved vendors in the MOScholars Marketplace, including Guide Dots for your child's art curriculum.
Homeschooling costs add up fast, and curriculum is usually the biggest line item. MOScholars is Missouri's program for helping families cover it.
Missouri's program works differently than the ESAs you've read about in other states. The program changed recently, and a lot of the information floating around online is out of date. Here's a current explanation of who qualifies, what the funds cover, and how homeschool families can use it.
For a wider look at how these accounts work around the country, see our complete guide to homeschool funding and ESAs.
⚠️ The process changed this year
Missouri selected Odyssey to run MOScholars starting with the 2026-27 school year, replacing the older setup where each nonprofit handled its own applications. Guides and forum posts written before 2026 describe a process that no longer exists. If an article tells you to start with a ClassWallet account, it's out of date.
What Is the MOScholars Program?
MOScholars is the nickname for the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program, created in 2021 and run by the Missouri State Treasurer's Office. It gives eligible K-12 students a pool of money for approved education expenses.
Most state ESA programs are funded by a line item in the state budget. Missouri's isn't. Instead, individuals and businesses donate to certified nonprofits called Educational Assistance Organizations, and those donors receive state tax credits in return. The EAOs then award the scholarships.
Because the funds come from donations rather than an appropriation, the pool is finite. Awards are limited by how much donors contribute, and applications are prioritized rather than filled in the order they arrive.
The program has grown fast. In the 2025-26 school year, MOScholars awarded 6,418 scholarships worth more than $43 million, roughly a 140% jump over the year before. The state projects more than 10,000 students will participate in fiscal year 2027.
Who Qualifies for MOScholars?
Your child needs to be a Missouri resident, and either in K-12 already or old enough to start. Beyond that, there are two ways in.
1. Your student has an approved Individualized Education Program (IEP). If they receive special education services through a school district, they likely have an IEP. This pathway has no income limit.
or
2. Your household income is at or below 300% of the free and reduced lunch threshold, and at least one of these applies:
- Your child attended public school full-time for at least one semester in the past 12 months
- They're old enough to start kindergarten or first grade
- They have a sibling who received a MOScholars scholarship last school year
If you're just starting out and your oldest hasn't begun school yet, the kindergarten condition is worth acting on while it applies. Families who homeschool for a few years before looking into MOScholars often find they've aged past the easiest way in.
Qualifying gets you in the door to apply, though it doesn't guarantee an award, since funding is limited.
MOScholars Income Limits and Award Priority
If you're qualifying on income, the ceiling is 300% of the federal free and reduced lunch threshold. The exact dollar figure depends on your household size and gets updated each year, so check the Treasurer's Office for current numbers before you apply.
Income isn't the only factor in who gets funded. Missouri law sets a preference order for awards, and siblings of current recipients, along with families at or below 100% of the free/reduced lunch rate and students with an IEP, are prioritized. If donations run short in a given year, eligible families can end up on a waitlist.
What Can You Buy With MOScholars Funds?
What you receive depends on your child's circumstances and how much funding is available that year. Most accounts land in the $6,000 to $7,000 range, and students with an IEP can receive substantially more.
Funds are restricted to approved education expenses. Here are some general guidelines.
| Category | Covered | Not covered |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | Printed curriculum packages, educational workbooks, instructional resources, required course materials | Standalone consumable supplies bought on their own: paper, pens, pencils, markers |
| Tuition | Tuition and required fees at a qualified Missouri school, private virtual school tuition | Tuition at a private school outside Missouri |
| Instruction | Individual and small-group tutoring, academic intervention, subject-specific instruction | Payments to certain close family members of the student |
| Therapies | Speech, occupational, physical, and behavioral therapy from licensed or accredited practitioners | Services not tied to the student's education needs |
| Testing | ACT, SAT, AP and IB exams, nationally standardized norm-referenced tests | |
| Technology | Computers, laptops, tablets, assistive technology | Smartphones. Desktops, laptops, tablets, and 3D printers are limited to one purchase every three years. |
| Programs | Summer education programs, specialized after-school programs, individual public school classes and extracurriculars | |
| Transportation | Mileage reimbursement to and from a qualified school |
A note on supplies versus kits. Approval happens at the offering level, not the vendor level. A company being approved for MOScholars doesn't automatically make every product it sells eligible, and Odyssey may request documentation before approving a purchase. The consumables rule is aimed at buying supplies on their own rather than at curriculum packages that include materials. Check the listing in the marketplace before you buy.
How to Apply for MOScholars (and When the Next Window Opens)
Applications for the 2026-27 school year have closed. The Treasurer's Office hasn't yet announced the window for 2027-28, but that doesn't mean you can’t get started now. Getting your documentation together now puts you in position to submit as soon as the window opens.
Here's what to have ready:
- Proof of Missouri residency
- Your student's birth certificate or other proof of age
- A copy of your student's IEP, if you're applying through that route
- Income documentation, if you're applying under the income cap
- Records of public school enrollment for the relevant semester, if that condition applies to you
Once a window opens, you'll apply through Odyssey, submit your documentation, and wait for an award determination. Funds are then managed through the same platform. Returning families receive a continuation survey rather than filing a fresh application, though you'll need a new application for each sibling you add.
Using MOScholars for Homeschool Art Curriculum
Art is an approved curriculum expense under MOScholars, which makes it one of the easier line items to check off.
Guide Dots is a video-based art program taught by Ms. Cindra, a licensed art teacher. Your child watches, draws along, and builds real technique without you having to teach a subject you may not feel qualified to teach.
The whole program is built around proportion. It's the reason a drawing comes out looking wrong in a way a kid can feel but can't name, and enough of those in a row is usually where they stop trying. Guide Dots teaches it three ways at once:
- Video lessons with Ms. Cindra. She teaches actual art technique, one step at a time, at whatever pace your child sets.
- A light tablet made for the program. This is what makes proportion click, and it's the reason finished drawings look the way your child pictured them.
- Dot guides that step back as skills grow. Your child starts with more reference points and works up to lessons with fewer, until the support isn't needed.
The dots aren't a line to trace. They're reference points, and your child draws their own line between them.
There's a reason we push families to start early. Around age 8, most kids decide whether they're "good" or "bad" at art, and that verdict tends to stick for years.
Guide Dots is an approved vendor for MOScholars, so eligible Missouri families can cover a kit with their funds. Everything arrives together, so there's no separate trip for the right markers or paper.
Shop Guide Dots starter kits and pay with your MOScholars funds through the Marketplace.
No MOScholars funds yet? No problem. Our starter kits begin at $93 and ship free, with everything your child needs to start creating today.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a MOScholars scholarship worth?
Most accounts land in the $6,000 to $7,000 range, though awards vary based on your child's documented needs and how much funding is available that year. Students with an IEP can receive substantially more. Because the program is donor-funded, amounts shift year to year.
Can I use MOScholars if I already homeschool?
Yes, if you meet one of the qualifying pathways. Long-time homeschool families most often qualify through an IEP or by having a younger child entering kindergarten. Curriculum is an approved expense once you're in.
What happens if I don't use all the funds?
Fund rollover rules are set by the program and can change year to year. Check your account terms in Odyssey and confirm with the Treasurer's Office before you assume unused funds carry forward.
Can I buy curriculum outside the Odyssey Marketplace?
Purchases go through approved vendors and offerings in the marketplace. If a curriculum you want isn't listed, the company may not have applied yet or may still have an offering under review. Ask them directly, since vendors can apply at any time.
Is Guide Dots an approved MOScholars vendor?
Yes. Guide Dots has approved offerings in the MOScholars Marketplace. Because approval happens at the offering level, check the current listing to confirm which products are available before you purchase.
When does the next application window open?
The 2027-28 window hasn't been announced yet. Watch the Missouri State Treasurer's Office for the announcement, and have your documentation ready ahead of time.
