Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (WPCP)
Westside Christian School encourages all families whose income meets the criteria for participation in the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (WPCP) to apply. This options offers families a voucher to cover their child’s tuition in full.
All families who have previously received tuition assistance from Westside Christian School will receive a letter to make them aware of this program. If their family qualifies for the program and receives a voucher, this will allow our own financial aid resources to be allocated to other students in need of tuition assistance.
When do families enroll in the WPCP?
The open application period for families to enroll in the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (WPCP) for the 2024-2025 school year begins February 1, 2024 and runs through April 18, 2024. These dates are not flexible.
Where do I apply?
Families can apply beginning February 3 at dpi.wi.gov/choice. Please note that late applications will not be accepted by DPI for any reason.
What is involved in applying for the program?
Parents are required to apply at dpi.wi.gov/choice.
- Complete the online student application.
- Provide both residency documentation and income documentation to Westside Christian School during the application period or the application will be ineligible.
- Families should note that they must also separately apply to WCS through TADS, our school enrollment system.
Is my family eligible for the WPCP?
- Age
- Application Grade or Prior Year Attendance
- Residency
- Income Limits
Age*
A student must be at least the following age on or before September 1, 2024: 4 years old for 4K, 5 years old for kindergarten, or 6 years old for 1st grade.
Application Grade or Prior Year Attendance*
Students applying to the WPCP for the first time must either be entering 4K, kindergarten, or 1st grade. If your student is coming from public school in Wisconsin, is coming from a school outside of Wisconsin, is currently homeschooled, or is on the WPCP waitlist, they may qualify.
Residency
If your address is anywhere other than in Milwaukee or Racine Counties, you meet the residency requirement.
Income Limits*
Whether or not you meet the income requirements is based on both family size and your Adjusted Gross Income. The income charts below are for the 2024-2025 school year. Family size includes parents/legal guardians and their children by birth, marriage or adoption that reside in the same household as the student applicant. The first chart is for single parent households. The second chart is for two parent (married) households. Family income is the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) on 1040 income tax form.
Single Parent Household – 2024-2025 School Year
Family size with family income at or below the following amounts:
Family Size 3 – $54,692
Family Size 4 – $66,000
Family Size 5 – $77,308
Family Size 6 – $88,616
Add $11,308 for each additional family member.
Two Parent (Married) Household – 2024-2025 School Year
Family size with family income at or below the following amounts:
Family Size 3 – $61,692
Family Size 4 – $73,000
Family Size 5 – $84,308
Family Size 6 – $95,616
Family Size 7 – $106,924
Add $11,308 for each additional family member.
* Westside students currently enrolled in the WPCP meet this requirement. In addition, re-enrollment in the WPCP only requires supporting documentation to verify residency–income verification is not needed. Students who are applying for the first time, such as those entering 4K and those new to Westside, need to meet all eligibility requirements.
Does the WPCP only apply to current WCS families?
No. This includes current WCS families as well as students coming from a public school, homeschool, charter, or virtual school setting.
If my child is awarded a voucher, do I have to enroll into the program every year?
Students who receive a voucher through the WPCP to attend Westside Christian will need to renew the voucher if they wish to receive it in following years. However, the subsequent application process is much simpler: only residency verification will be necessary.
What happens if more students apply than seats are available?
If more students apply to the WPCP than what Westside Christian School has opened for number of seats at a specific grade level, we can either open more seats (if there is space in the classroom) or the state of Wisconsin will conduct a lottery to select students for that grade level. On occasion, a selected student may decide not to enroll. If this happens, an opportunity will be extended to a student at that grade level who was not initially selected.
Will WPCP students be treated differently?
All students at Westside Christian School will be treated as dearly loved children of God, and will be given the same academic and extracurricular options as all students. Westside Christian School is not new to offering financial aid to families and will treat students in this program just like every other student who we are blessed to teach.
The identities of our choice students, as well as other students receiving financial aid, are not readily shared with staff members. They are known by the Choice Administrator (principal), the WCS treasurer, a person responsible for billing, and an assigned Choice designee.
Does the choice voucher cover all additional expenses for school?
The voucher covers the cost of tuition. What is included in the cost of educating a child can be seen in detail on the Tuition and Value tab of our website.
Those expenses not covered by a voucher payment include:
- School meals
- Gym shirts
- Uniforms
- Elective music classes
- Before and after school care