Newly released data show that a growing number of Oklahoma families continue to pursue private-school education for their children by using a popular state program.

The Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit program provides refundable tax credits of $5,000 to $7,500 per child to cover the cost of private school tuition. The largest tax credits go to those with the lowest incomes, and families with incomes of less than $150,000 per year are prioritized.

A May 15 report released by the Oklahoma Tax Commission shows that demand for the program continues to increase year over year among families with incomes below $150,000. (The report did not include data on families above that level.)

Compared with the May 1, 2025, report issued by the commission, the number of children receiving the tax credit has increased across all categories for families earning below $150,000.

The data also show that more than 5,500 children have used the program to shift from public schools to private schools in either the 2025-2026 school year or the pending 2026-2027 school year.

“Oklahoma’s Parental Choice Tax Credit has proven exceptionally popular with families,” said Oklahoma Secretary of Education Daniel Hamlin. “Nearly 38,000 children took advantage of the program last year, and even more are expected to do so this year. The program is also reaching a broad range of families across the state.”

In May 2025, there were 19,627 children from families under $150,000 who had been approved for the tax-credit program at that time. In comparison, there are 20,310 children from families under $150,000 who have been approved so far for the 2026-2027 school year.

In percentage terms, the largest increase so far has been among children who are classified as homeless or financially disadvantaged. The number of those children participating in the program in May 2026 is 45 percent greater than in May 2025.

In May 2025, there were 2,741 children eligible for welfare benefits who also received school choice tax credits. As of May 15 of this year, there are now 2,911 children who receive welfare benefits, such as food stamps, who have been approved for school choice tax credits.

In the final report for the 2025-2026 school year, there were 3,681 students who used the PCTC program to switch from public school to a private school for the first time that year.

The May 15, 2026, report shows that another 1,847 are poised to make the switch in the 2026-2027 school year solely from families earning less than $150,000.

That brings the combined two-year total to at least 5,528 kids who have used the tax credit program to switch from public to private school. The number of applicants who switch from public to private typically increases as the year progresses, and will also increase as data for families with incomes above $150,000 is released.

If those 5,528 school-switching students represented a single district, its enrollment would be greater than all but 21 of Oklahoma’s more than 500 brick-and-mortar public-school districts.

During the 2025-2026 school year, the families of 39,587 children used the Parental Choice Tax Credit program to send their children to a private school using $247.8 million in credits, according to the Oklahoma Tax Commission.

Due to anticipated growth in demand, state lawmakers voted this session to raise the program cap from $250 million to $275 million via House Bill 3705, by House Speaker Kyle Hilbert and Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton.

The application window for the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit program for school year 2026-2027 is currently open but will close on Monday, June 15.