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BOOST (Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today) Scholarship Program

The BOOST (Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today) Scholarship Program awards scholarships for low-income kindergarten – 12th grade students to attend a participating nonpublic school.

The online application will be available in the spring 2023.

For Nonpublic Schools

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Only nonpublic schools who were approved to participate in the Nonpublic Textbook Program were eligible to apply to participate in the BOOST Scholarship Program. Visit the Nonpublic Textbook Program webpage to see a list of schools that were approved to participate in that program.

This funding opportunity is designed for nonpublic schools registered to operate in the state of Maryland. To be eligible to participate, a nonpublic school must: 

  • Hold a certificate of approval from or be registered with the State Board of Education; 

  • Be approved to participate in the Nonpublic Textbook Program;

  • Provide more than only prekindergarten and kindergarten programs;

  • Complete an application to the BOOST Scholarship Program;

  • Comply with all reporting requirements by the specified date.

A list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and answers is posted on the left-hand side of this page. Please check there first to see if your question has been asked before. MSDE will also be offering customer service support sessions for schools.


For Parents

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The BOOST Scholarship application will be opening soon! Please continue to check this webpage for an update for the 2023-2024 school year.

To be eligible, a student must:

  • Qualify for free and reduced price meals (FARMs); 

  • Be enrolled or accepted at a participating nonpublic school for the 2023-2024 school year; and

  • Be entering grade kindergarten – 12th grade for the 2023-2024 school year.

    Unfortunately, there may not be funding available for every student that applies. Eligible students are ranked in order, with the lowest-income families at the top of the list. Students are placed on a waitlist, and we offer a scholarship to the next student on the list. We aren’t able to offer a scholarship to every student who is eligible.

    As part of the application, parents will be asked to upload their Federal 1040 tax returns so that their annual income and household size can be verified. For a breakdown of household income cut-offs for FARMs, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture webpage. 

    Parents and guardians must apply through the online application. The online application will become available in the spring 2023. Please continue to check this webpage for updates.

    A list of Frequently Asked Questions and answers will be posted here and updated as needed. MSDE will also be offering customer service support sessions. Details coming soon!

    Contact Robert Wancowicz
    Email: boost.msde@maryland.gov
    Phone: (410) 767-0443

    A list of nonpublic schools participating in the BOOST Scholarship Program can be found on the left-hand side of this page. The BOOST scholarship may only be used at a school that has chosen to participate in the program.

    We don’t know yet. The award amounts will be determined after the online application has closed and the BOOST Advisory Board has met. This usually takes place in July or August. When the award amounts have been determined, we’ll post them on this webpage.

    The check isn’t sent to the parents, it’s sent to the school. Once the school year starts, schools must first confirm that the student is enrolled at their school. Then, we can send out the scholarship check to the school. We anticipate the first checks to be sent out in October.



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    Contact:

    Robert Wancowicz
    Office: (410) 767-0443
    boost.msde@maryland.gov