The second year of the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit shows continuing strong demand from Oklahoma families.

During the program’s recent application period on Feb. 18, the Oklahoma Tax Commission (OTC) received more than 31,000 Parental Choice Tax Credit applications from families on the first day alone. The latest round of applications is for credits that will apply to the 2025-2026 school year.

“The OTC committed to having a successful application launch by simplifying the application process and proactively preparing both schools and taxpayers,” said Doug Linehan, executive director of the Oklahoma Tax Commission. “By all accounts, the agency’s hard work resulted in a very positive taxpayer application experience. We remain committed to processing applications in a timely and transparent manner.”

The Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit program provides families with refundable tax credits of $5,000 to $7,500 per child. The largest credits go to families with the least income, and priority is given to families with incomes below $150,000.

In the first year of the school-choice tax-credit program, families sought credits for 38,756 children. Of that total, 27,099 children received the credit, while most of the remainder did not because the program had reached its first-year cap of $150 million.

The cap has increased this year, but it is not known yet if demand will again exceed the supply of tax credits.

The number of children from lower-income families who are attending private school thanks to the program in its first year was 35 percent greater than the number of beneficiaries from the highest income bracket.

The OTC will process applications for the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit program beginning with all priority-status applications (taxpayers with a Federal Adjusted Gross Income of $150,000 or less) submitted during the priority period.

The priority period lasts 60 days, ending April 19, 2025, at 9 a.m.

Tax commission officials said priority applications will be reviewed, and applicants notified within 30 days from the date of submission.

After all priority applications submitted during the priority period have been reviewed and a final determination is made, all other applicants can expect to be notified of their status within approximately 30 days after the end of the priority period or within 30 days of application submission if submitted at a later date.