The gate: Approval as a participating school under MSDE BOOST, on the state’s annual calendar
What the rules actually say
“The parent application for the 2026-2027 school year will be open from March 9 - May 8, 2026.”
— MSDE — BOOST Scholarship Program
The sequence, in order
1. Establish the nonpublic school entity in Maryland. Form the school as an entity registered to operate in Maryland with an EIN. BOOST is designed for nonpublic schools registered to operate in the state; this status underpins every later step.
2. Obtain State Board certificate of approval or registration (STATE GATE). Hold a certificate of approval from, or be registered with, the Maryland State Board of Education. This is the first BOOST eligibility requirement and a multi-step MSDE process a new school must complete before BOOST is reachable.
3. Get approved for the Nonpublic Textbook Program (STATE GATE). Be approved to participate in Maryland’s Nonpublic Textbook Program — an explicit BOOST prerequisite that ties eligibility to the state’s existing nonpublic-school infrastructure.
4. Offer more than pre-K/kindergarten. BOOST requires participating schools to provide more than only prekindergarten and kindergarten programs. Confirm your grade span meets this before applying.
5. Sign the BOOST Assurances (incl. nondiscrimination). Execute the BOOST Assurances, which require not discriminating in admissions on bases including race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. This condition is legally live and must be met to participate.
6. Secure a compliant facility. Meet local occupancy, fire, and health requirements for a school facility. BOOST imposes no program-level staff background check (COMAR 13A.09.09 sets only credential/degree standards), though general Maryland employment law may apply — confirm at registration.
7. Submit the BOOST participating-school application on time (STATE GATE). Complete the participating-school application by the deadline — for 2026-27 it is due March 6, 2026 (parent applications March 9–May 8, 2026). Late or incomplete applications forfeit participation for the cycle.
8. Enroll awarded students, report & receive funds. Enroll awarded FARMs-eligible students and comply with all BOOST reporting; MSDE administers awards and disburses funds toward tuition. Funding is capped and small (FY27 estimated ~$9M, subject to the budget) and awards go to a ranked list, so participation does not guarantee funded students.
Where founders actually stall
Maryland runs on fixed annual windows. Miss the window and the answer is simply "next year", regardless of how ready you are.
What we have not verified
The separate school-participation window, which differs from the parent application window quoted above.
We would rather say this than guess. Everything above that is stated as fact carries a link to the primary source, so you can check us.
Sources
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