Charter schools are publicly funded and therefore do not charge tuition. All students attend free of charge. The charter schools receive funding based upon the number of students who enroll. Charter schools must have a fair and open admissions process. When more students apply than can be accommodated, many charters use a lottery to randomly determine which students are accepted.
Many charters have waiting lists.
Charter schools are schools of choice, meaning teachers and students choose them. They operate with freedom from many regulations that apply to traditional public schools. They generally offer teachers and students more authority to make decisions than most traditional public schools. Instead of being accountable for compliance with rules and regulations, they are accountable for academic results and for upholding their charter. This is the area in which current research is centered and where more data are needed.