Historic Victory: $50 Million Investment Triples MOScholars Program

June 30, 2025 marked a transformative day for Missouri families seeking educational choice. Governor Mike Kehoe signed the state budget, securing $50 million to expand the number of children served by the MOScholars K-12 scholarship program, which helps parents pay tuition at private schools as well as homeschooling expenses.

A Game-Changing Expansion

This historic funding increase will add approximately 7,000 new scholarships to the MOScholars program, effectively tripling its size. For the thousands of CEAM families who have been patiently waiting on the program’s waitlist for years, this means their children are now in line to receive the educational opportunities they deserve.

The MOScholars program, which provides Education Savings Account (ESA) scholarships to help Missouri families has consistently faced funding challenges. The program has faced issues funding scholarships each fall with the majority of donations coming at the end of the year. An additional $50 million — more than double the amount of donations received last year — would solve the funding lag.

The Power of Advocacy

This victory didn’t happen overnight—it’s the result of dedicated advocacy and grassroots efforts throughout the 2025 legislative session. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to:

• Committed advocates who attended five advocacy days during this session, showing up time and again to make their voices heard
• Engaged families who sent over 600 personalized cards to lawmakers and the governor, sharing their stories and demonstrating the real need for expanded educational choice
• Governor Kehoe for making MOScholars a priority in his first budget proposal and fighting for its inclusion throughout the legislative process

Thank You

To Governor Kehoe: Thank you for making MOScholars a priority and your commitment to Missouri families. To our advocates: Your dedication and persistence changed the trajectory for thousands of Missouri children. To the families who have been waiting: Your patience has paid off—we look forward to helping you access the educational opportunities your children deserve.

Together, we’ve shown that when families unite with a common purpose, real change is possible.