SOAR Act Improvements Act
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Would reauthorize through FY2032 the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program — a federal program that funds private-school tuition for low-income DC residents — and expand it to cover pre-kindergarten students for the first time, while increasing the share of appropriated funds directed to direct scholarships from one-third to one-half.
Several operational changes would also take effect: new schools could enroll scholarship students while working toward full accreditation over up to five years; the random-selection lottery requirement would no longer override a school's normal admissions process; and the program evaluation cycle would shift to once every seven years.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would reauthorize the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program through FY2032 and make a series of substantive modifications. It would extend scholarship eligibility to pre-kindergarten students, allow the Department of Education to renew grants to nonprofit program administrators for up to five additional years without a new competitive process, and increase the share of appropriated funds that may go to direct scholarships from one-third to one-half. The cap on funds used for tutoring would be raised from $2 million to $2.2 million, and the requirement that nonprofit board members reside in DC itself would be broadened to the wider Washington metropolitan region.
The bill would also ease school participation rules: private schools not yet accredited could begin enrolling scholarship students while obtaining accreditation within five years, and the random-selection lottery requirement would apply only when it would not interfere with a school's standard admissions procedures. Separately, the Institute of Education Sciences would be directed to issue a public evaluation report every seven years — with the first due by January 1, 2027 — assessing academic progress, graduation rates, and school safety for scholarship students compared with public school peers.
Key provisions
- 1Would allow the Department of Education to renew nonprofit grants for up to five additional years without a competitive application process, at the Secretary's discretion to maintain program continuity.
- 2Would limit the random-selection lottery requirement to situations where it would not interfere with a participating school's regular admission standards or procedures.
- 3Would broaden board member residency eligibility for nonprofit administrators from DC alone to the Washington metropolitan region, including parts of Maryland and Virginia.
- 4Would allow new private schools to enroll scholarship students immediately while pursuing full accreditation, provided they obtain it within five years of beginning the participation process.
- 5Would expand scholarship eligibility to pre-kindergarten students and raise the cap on funds available for tutoring from $2,000,000 to $2,200,000, removing a prior restriction on tutoring fund use.
- 6Would require a public evaluation report on the program every seven years, with the first due by January 1, 2027, assessing academic progress, graduation and college enrollment rates, and school safety.
- 7Would reauthorize program appropriations through FY2032 and increase the scholarship fund share from one-third to one-half of appropriated funds.
Who would be affected
Low-income DC residents seeking private-school tuition assistance — including pre-kindergarten children newly eligible under the bill — are the primary beneficiaries. Private elementary and secondary schools in DC, including those currently without accreditation, would be affected by the new five-year accreditation window. Nonprofit organizations that administer program grants, their boards, and the DC mayor's office, which jointly oversees evaluation, are also directly reached.
Why it matters
Shifting the scholarship fund share from one-third to one-half of appropriated dollars would put more federal money directly into student tuition grants rather than administrative or other uses. Opening a five-year accreditation pathway lets more private schools participate immediately. Extending eligibility to pre-K could give DC families earlier access to private schooling. And softening the lottery mandate lets schools apply their normal admissions criteria even when scholarship applicants exceed capacity.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act (Sec. 2)
Allows grant renewals for up to five additional years without competition and broadens board residency requirement to the Washington metropolitan region.
Amends Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act (Sec. 3)
Rewrites accreditation rules to give new participating schools five years to obtain full accreditation before being barred from enrolling scholarship students.
Amends Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act (Sec. 4)
Extends fund eligibility to pre-K tuition, raises tutoring fund cap to $2,200,000, removes prior cap restriction on tutoring, and grants nonprofits authority to set maximum scholarship amounts.
Amends Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act (Sec. 6)
Changes program evaluation cycle to every seven years, updates evaluation criteria to focus on academic progress and attainment, and removes several prior evaluation requirements.
Reauthorizes Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act (Sec. 8)
Extends authorization of appropriations through FY2032 and shifts fund distribution ratio so one-half goes to scholarships, down from one-third for a separate administrative category.
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Evaluation amendments apply after a two-year period from enactment
- Reporting requirement changes apply for school years beginning on or after enactment
- Reauthorization and fund distribution changes apply retroactively
Funding and costs
- $2,200,000
Annual cap on funds used for tutoring, parental assistance, and student academic assistance by nonprofit grant recipients
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates H.R. 5181 would cost $300 million over the 2026–2030 period and an additional $120 million after 2030 in discretionary spending (funds subject to annual congressional appropriation), with no effect on the deficit.
CBO estimates that implementing the SOAR Act Improvements Act of 2025 would require $300 million in spending subject to appropriation (i.e., discretionary funds that Congress must annually approve) over the 2026–2030 period, and an additional $120 million beyond 2030, totaling $420 million over the 2026–2035 window. The bill has no effect on direct (mandatory) spending or revenues, and thus does not increase the deficit. The main cost driver is the bill's reauthorization and expansion of the Scholarship for Opportunity and Results Act, which funds public and charter K–12 schools in the District of Columbia and provides scholarships for eligible D.C. students to attend private K–12 schools, at $60 million per year through 2032. CBO identified no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates in the bill.
How implementation would work
The Department of Education would issue and renew grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations, which administer scholarships to eligible low-income DC students. Under the bill, ED could renew existing grants for up to five years without a competitive round. New private schools would self-certify they are pursuing accreditation and have five years to complete it. The Institute of Education Sciences, jointly directed by ED and the DC mayor, would conduct program evaluations and issue public reports every seven years. Nonprofit grantees would continue to report annually on student academic progress, safety incidents, and related outcomes.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 20.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill reauthorizes through FY2032 and modifies the District of Columbia (DC) Opportunity Scholarship Program, which is a federal program that funds private school scholarships for low-income students in DC.
Under the program, the Department of Education (ED) issues grants to nonprofit organizations to pay for income-qualified DC residents to attend DC private elementary or secondary schools of their choice. The bill expands the program to include pre-kindergarten students and authorizes ED to renew grants for up to five years without a new application.
Current law requires nonprofits to ensure that if more scholarship students apply to a particular school than the school can accommodate, students will be randomly selected for admission. The bill specifies that this only applies if random selection would not interfere with the school's regular admission standards or procedures.
Current law also requires schools to be properly accredited in order to participate in the program (i.e., enroll scholarship students). The bill authorizes a nonparticipating school to enroll scholarship students provided it obtains accreditation within five years of first pursuing participation in the program.
The bill also makes other administrative changes to the program, including (1) authorizing the majority of voting members of a nonprofit’s board to live in the DC metropolitan area, rather than in DC itself; (2) removing a cap on the use of funds for tutoring students; and (3) directing ED and the mayor of DC to periodically evaluate and publicly report on the program.
Legislative subjects
Academic performance and assessments; Congressional oversight; District of Columbia; Education; Education programs funding; Elementary and secondary education; Government information and archives; Maryland; Preschool education; Student aid and college costs; Teaching, teachers, curricula; Virginia