Ohio Statehouse Transportation Grant Program

The Ohio Statehouse Transportation Grant Program supports eligible Ohio schools with bus transportation expenses for student visits to the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. For the 2026/2027 school year, the program makes 180 transportation grants available. The Ohio Statehouse Museum Education Center will select recipients, while the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board will reimburse schools following their Statehouse visits. The program is specifically intended to reduce transportation costs associated with bringing eligible student tour groups to the Ohio Statehouse. Grant amounts are determined by the one-way mileage from the applicant school to the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. Schools located 0 to 50 miles away are eligible for a $300 grant, schools located 51 to 100 miles away are eligible for a $400 grant, and schools located 101 or more miles away are eligible for a $600 grant. Sixty schools will be selected from each mileage category, resulting in 180 total grants. Applicants are instructed to select the correct mileage category on the online application based on the one-way distance between their school and the Ohio Statehouse. Only one grant may be awarded to each school regardless of the number of buses or students involved. Eligibility is limited to Ohio schools that receive state funding, and the transportation funding is restricted to Ohio students in grades 4 through 12 during the 2026/2027 school year. Classes below the fourth-grade level are not eligible. In addition, a grant applicant must have a minimum of 20 students in its tour group to receive transportation funding. These requirements apply alongside the limitation of one grant per school. Applications for the 2026/2027 school year open September 4, 2026 and close at the end of the day on September 13, 2026, providing a 10-day application period. All applications submitted during that window will be considered. Applications must be submitted online through the Ohio Statehouse webpage using the designated application form, and submission must be made by an authorized teacher or school administrator. Only online applications are accepted. The application form is available at https://forms.gle/MJ4iGFdDX9eN2EWf6. The Ohio Statehouse Museum Education Center will use a random lottery system to select 60 schools from each of the three mileage categories. This produces 180 total grant recipients, with the mileage category determining the amount awarded rather than serving as a competitive scoring scale. All applicants will be notified by email of their status by September 18, 2026. The source does not identify a pre-application requirement, cost-share or matching requirement, narrative scoring criteria, or additional competitive review criteria beyond the stated eligibility requirements, mileage categories, and random lottery selection process. Awarded schools will be reimbursed after their visit to the Ohio Statehouse. The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board will issue reimbursement within 21 business days after the visit, and payment will be made by check. Schools are instructed to indicate the party to whom the reimbursement check should be written. Questions regarding the transportation grants may be directed to Ariana Glaser at 614-728-3726 or tours@ohiostatehouse.org. The stated application cycle opens September 4, 2026, closes September 13, 2026, and provides applicant status notifications by September 18, 2026; the supplied source does not explicitly state that the program recurs annually or provide dates for a subsequent application cycle.

Submit the online application during the September 4-13 application window; select the correct one-way mileage category; confirm the tour includes at least 20 eligible students in grades 4 through 12; ensure the application is submitted by an authorized teacher or school administrator. Recipient selection is by random lottery, with 60 schools selected from each mileage category.