Oklahoma’s Parental Choice Tax Credit applications open March 16 for 2026–27 school year: key rules

Applications and deadlines for the 2026–2027 school year

Oklahoma’s Parental Choice Tax Credit (PCTC) application window for the 2026–2027 school year opened at 9 a.m. Central on Monday, March 16, 2026. The application period is scheduled to close at 11:59 p.m. Central on Monday, June 15, 2026.

The Oklahoma Tax Commission administers the program, which provides a refundable income tax credit to eligible taxpayers who pay, or expect to pay, qualified education expenses for eligible students during the applicable school year.

How the credit works and what it can cover

For private school families, the credit is designed to offset qualified expenses such as private school tuition and fees at participating schools. The maximum credit is income-based and is generally limited to the lesser of the student’s anticipated tuition and fees for the school year or the program’s maximum amount for the household’s income bracket.

• Up to $75,000 federal adjusted gross income (AGI): up to $7,500 per student
• $75,001–$150,000 AGI: up to $7,000 per student
• $150,001–$225,000 AGI: up to $6,500 per student
• $225,001–$250,000 AGI: up to $6,000 per student
• $250,001 and above: up to $5,000 per student

Separately, beginning with tax year 2024, Oklahoma law also allows a refundable credit of up to $1,000 per eligible homeschooled student, subject to program limits and qualifying expenses.

Who gets priority and how timing affects review

The program operates under an annual statewide authorization cap for private-school credits. For the 2026–2027 school year, the cap remains $250 million. Because the credit pool is limited, the review order matters.

The first 60 days after the portal opens are treated as the priority period. Within that period, applications are reviewed first for households with federal AGI of $150,000 or less. After those are processed, applications from households above $150,000 that received the credit in the prior year are reviewed next. Applications outside the priority categories are generally handled afterward in the order received until the cap is reached.

What families need to apply

Each student requires a separate application. A key required item is an Enrollment Verification Number (EVN), which families must obtain from the participating private school the student attends or plans to attend.

Income eligibility and priority are determined using federal AGI from the “second preceding tax year.” For the 2026–2027 application cycle in 2026, that generally corresponds to tax year 2024 AGI.

Applicants should plan for confirmation and status emails to take time during high-volume periods and should keep documentation supporting eligibility and qualified expenses.

Payment structure and other administrative considerations

Approved private-school credits are issued in installment payments. State law and administrative rules also allow offsets for certain delinquent state tax liabilities before payment. Families are expected to retain records supporting the credit claimed, including proof of qualified expenses and eligibility information.

With a defined closing date now in place for this school year’s application cycle, families seeking priority consideration must submit a complete application within the required timelines and ensure required verification items—especially the EVN—are ready at submission.