Last verified: October 2026. Agencies revise these programs every year, so confirm details with the office named in each section.
Which Tulsa students qualify for the Lindsey Nicole Henry scholarship?
Any PK3-12 student who meets one item on OSDE's list can qualify; the broadest item is an IEP written by a public school district, or a district's determination under IDEA that the child needs special education.
OSDE's list also includes a child whose service plan was written by DHS, a child whose military parent was reassigned to Oklahoma by PCS orders from another state or overseas, a child placed outside the home by DHS or by the Office of Juvenile Affairs, a child adopted from DHS permanent custody, and a child attending a school only for homeless students.
How much does LNH pay?
It varies by child: OSDE starts from Oklahoma's state aid factors for the year, applies the weights tied to the student's grade and disability, compares that result with the school's tuition and fees, and pays the smaller number less an administrative fee that can reach 2.5%.
Because the weights differ by child, two Tulsa students at the same school can receive different amounts. The payment is a state warrant in the parent's name that OSDE sends to the school, and the parent has to sign it over to the school with a restrictive endorsement or the guidance says the scholarship is forfeited.
How does LNH sit alongside the Parental Choice Tax Credit?
The two come from different agencies and have separate applications, and many Tulsa schools appear on both lists; the tax credit is limited to the tuition and fees on your enrollment verification, so ask the school how it will show an LNH payment before you file.
LNH also reaches costs the credit cannot: special education programs the school runs, and therapies, tutoring or an aide connected to the student's disability, documented by contract on the school's annual statement. OSDE's guidance notes that the department is not responsible for special education costs beyond the scholarship.
When is the LNH application due?
Get accepted at an approved school, then file online in PCG Scholar; OSDE needs the completed application and every supporting document by December 1 of the school year, and anything later is held for the following year.
Every student must renew each year. The LNH specialist can mail a paper application or help with the online one at (405) 521-2372. OSDE's approved-school list dated October 28, 2026 includes 27 schools in the four counties.
Where does the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship fit among Oklahoma's other programs?
| Source | What it is | Who can use it | How much | How the money moves | What it isn't |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parental Choice Tax Credit (PCTC) | Refundable Oklahoma income tax credit | Oklahoma residents from pre-K at age 4 through grade 12 at an accredited, registered private school; every income level | $5,000-$7,500 per student by AGI tier, never more than tuition and fees | Tax Commission check mailed to the school in the parent's name | Not an ESA, not a debit card, and not usable for outside tutors or devices |
| Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship (LNH) | OSDE scholarship for students with disabilities and a few other groups | Children from PK3 up on an IEP, plus several foster, military and homeless-school routes | Computed per child from the state aid formula; never above the school's charges; OSDE keeps up to 2.5% | Warrant to the parent, mailed to the school and endorsed over | Not usable at a school OSDE hasn't approved |
| Homeschool tax credit | Refundable Oklahoma income tax credit | Families teaching at home under Oklahoma's homeschool exception | Up to $1,000 per student per tax year | Claimed on the state return for the year you paid | Not a tuition credit, and it excludes internet service and out-of-state trips |
| SGO scholarships (GO for Catholic Schools, OSF and others) | Donor-funded private scholarships | Set by each organization, often need-based | Set by each organization | Usually paid to the school | Not guaranteed; awards depend on what donors give |