The MOScholars Program provides eligible Missouri families with scholarships that can provide up to $6,375 in funding for K-12 education expenses.

On this month’s episode of our podcast, Cici Tompkins, Director of Children’s Education Alliance of Missouri (CEAM), talks about how her organization is helping make school options more accessible to St. Louis City families by addressing financial barriers. 

CEAM is an organization on a mission to improve Missouri’s K-12 educational system by helping pay for student’s education. 

In 2021, the Missouri Legislature created the MO Scholars Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) Program to provide eligible Missouri families with scholarships that can provide up to $6,375 in funding for K-12 education expenses. 

ESA funds are awarded directly to families, and may be used to pay for a variety of educational expenses including tuition at a private school, charter public school, traditional public school, private or public virtual school, and even homeschool. Various other educational expenses like curriculum, transportation, technology, tutoring, and therapies are also allowed. 

The overall goal is for families to be able to use those funds to create a customized educational experience that meets their children’s unique needs. The program, which is starting soon, is funded by EAOs and administered by the State Treasurer’s Office. 

What is an EAO (Education Assistance Organization) 

Education Assistance Organizations (EAO) are nonprofit scholarship-granting organizations, certified by the State Treasurer, that are responsible for raising scholarship funds, awarding scholarships to eligible students, monitoring the appropriate use of scholarships monies by families, and collecting required data. In short, EAO’s are how donations are raised to be able to support students within the ESA program.

The work CEAM is doing with the MOScholars program is yet another step towards creating a more equitable landscape for children to gain knowledge and grow. 

Visit Show Me School Options to learn more about ESA funds / to apply.