School Voucher Programs

School Voucher Programs is sponsored by Various State Departments of Education. Voucher programs typically send funds directly to participating private schools on behalf of the student. These programs are often suited for families pursuing private school placement or specialized schools for dyslexia.

PROGRAMS & ELIGIBILITY - American Federation for Children School choice means different things to different people. To AFC, school choice means allowing parents to select the best schools for their children—public or private. School choice includes school vouchers, scholarship tax credit programs, education savings account programs, public charter schools, virtual charter schools, and meaningful public school choice.

Learn more about general program types and student eligibility–state-level program details will vary state to state. “All families, regardless of income, should be able to choose the right school for their children. ” — SHARON CHAVEZ, AFC FELLOW TYPES OF SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAMS: PUBLIC CHARTER, MAGNET & OTHERS School voucher programs allow education dollars to “follow the child” to the private school of their parents’ choice.

Voucher programs allow education dollars to “follow the child,” enabling parents to select private schools and receive state-funded scholarships to pay tuition. These scholarships are usually targeted to students who come from low-income families, have special needs or currently attend a failing public school. Research has demonstrated that vouchers increase student achievement, boost graduation rates, and help public schools improve.

They also lead to high parental satisfaction rates. There are 23 voucher programs nationwide in 13 states plus Washington, D. C.

The first voucher program, the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, was enacted in 1990. ENROLLMENT & FUNDING INFORMATION Succeed Scholarship Program D. C.

Opportunity Scholarship Program John M.

McKay Scholarship for Students With Disabilities Program Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program Choice Scholarship Program Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program School Choice Program For Certain Students With Exceptionalities Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) Program Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship Mississippi Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship For Students With Speech-Language Impairments Program Children With Disabilities Scholarship Grants Opportunity Scholarship Program Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program Autism Scholarship Program Educational Choice Scholarship Program Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program Income-Based Scholarship Program Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship For Students With Disabilities Program Free Selection of Schools Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship Milwaukee Parental Choice Program Racine Parental Choice Program Wisconsin Parental Choice Program Special Needs Scholarship Program Succeed Scholarship Program Proof of Financial Viability D.

C. Opportunity Scholarship Program Annual Financial Reporting Proof of Financial Viability Public Reporting of Results John M.

McKay Scholarship for Students With Disabilities Program Proof of Financial Viability Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program Proof of Financial Viability Choice Scholarship Program Annual Financial Reporting Public Reporting of Results Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program Annual Financial Reporting Public Reporting of Results School Choice Program For Certain Students With Exceptionalities Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) Program Public Reporting of Results Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship Annual Financial Reporting Mississippi Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship For Students With Speech-Language Impairments Program Annual Financial Reporting Children With Disabilities Scholarship Grants Opportunity Scholarship Program Annual Financial Reporting Public Reporting of Results Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program Annual Financial Reporting Educational Choice Scholarship Program Public Reporting of Results Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program Annual Financial Reporting Income-Based Scholarship Program Public Reporting of Results Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship For Students With Disabilities Program Proof of Financial Viability Free Selection of Schools Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship Annual Financial Reporting Proof of Financial Viability Milwaukee Parental Choice Program Annual Financial Reporting Proof of Financial Viability Public Reporting of Results Racine Parental Choice Program Annual Financial Reporting Proof of Financial Viability Public Reporting of Results Wisconsin Parental Choice Program Annual Financial Reporting Proof of Financial Viability Public Reporting of Results Special Needs Scholarship Program Annual Financial Reporting Proof of Financial Viability Education savings account programs give parents the power to use their children's state education dollars for a variety of educational purposes.

Education savings account programs create personal accounts that store a child’s state education dollars. With ESAs, parents can use education dollars to pay for school tuition and fees, textbooks, tutoring and special therapies and other approved expenses, so a child’s education is truly customizable. Participating families are able to choose the best education for their children through multiple providers.

ESAs are the most personally customizable education option of existing types of school choice programs.

ENROLLMENT & FUNDING INFORMATION Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program The Gardiner Scholarship Program Equal Opportunity For Students With Special Needs Nevada Educational Savings Account Program North Carolina Personal Education Savings Account Program Individualized Education Account Program Education Savings Account SGO ADMINISTRATIVE & FINANCIAL SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE & FINANCIAL Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program Annual Audits (Random Sample) The Gardiner Scholarship Program Equal Opportunity For Students With Special Needs Nevada Educational Savings Account Program Proof of Financial Viability Annual Audits (Random Sample) North Carolina Personal Education Savings Account Program Annual Audits (Random Sample) Individualized Education Account Program Education Savings Account Scholarship tax credit programs give families greater access to high-quality private schools by providing incentives to assist in expanding educational opportunity.

Scholarship tax credit programs create new pools of funding so that children can receive scholarships to attend the private schools of their parents’ choice. Corporations and individuals make private donations to nonprofit organizations that provide scholarships to eligible children. In return, the corporations and individuals receive a state income tax credit.

There are 21 scholarship tax credit programs operating across the country, and research has demonstrated that these programs are positive for student achievement and save money for state and local governments. There are over two dozen scholarship tax credit programs nationwide. The nation’s largest school choice program is a scholarship tax credit – Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program.

ENROLLMENT & FUNDING INFORMATION Tax Credits For Contributions To Scholarship Granting Organizations Individual School Tuition Organization Tax Credit Low Income Corporate School Tuition Organization Tax Credit Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Georgia Scholarship Tax Credit Invest in Kids Scholarship Tax Credit Program Corporate and Individual Scholarship Tax Credit Program Individual and Corporate School Tuition Organization Tax Credit Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program Louisiana Tuition Donation Rebate Program Tax Credits For Contribution To Student Scholarship Organizations Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program Education Tax Credit Program Equal Opportunity Education Scholarships Educational Improvement Tax Credit Educational Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Rhode Island Corporate Scholarship Tax Credit Educational Credit For Exceptional Needs Children The Partners in Education Tax Credit Program Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits Tax Credits For Contributions To Scholarship Granting Organizations Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting Background Checks (School) Proof of Financial Viability Public Reporting of Results Individual School Tuition Organization Tax Credit Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting Low Income Corporate School Tuition Organization Tax Credit Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting Background Checks (School) Proof of Financial Viability Public Reporting of Results Georgia Scholarship Tax Credit Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting Background Checks (School) Public Reporting of Results Invest in Kids Scholarship Tax Credit Program Corporate and Individual Scholarship Tax Credit Program Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting Public Reporting of Results Individual and Corporate School Tuition Organization Tax Credit Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting Louisiana Tuition Donation Rebate Program Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting Background Checks (School) Proof of Financial Viability Public Reporting of Results Tax Credits For Contribution To Student Scholarship Organizations Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Public Reporting of Results Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting Public Reporting of Results Education Tax Credit Program Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Equal Opportunity Education Scholarships Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting Educational Improvement Tax Credit Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting Background Checks (School) Educational Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting Rhode Island Corporate Scholarship Tax Credit Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Background Checks (School) Educational Credit For Exceptional Needs Children Annual Financial Reporting The Partners in Education Tax Credit Program Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits Donation & Scholarship Details Reporting Annual Financial Reporting Public Reporting of Results Individual tuition tax credits give parents a state income tax credit for their child’s approved educational expenses.

Individual tuition tax credits can be used for a child’s educational expenses, including private school tuition, and help families choose educational tools they otherwise could not afford. “Of significant size,” or approximately $3,000 to $6,000 is key to ensuring that the credit is large enough to affect a family’s decision and ability to cover the costs of private school.

There are two individual tuition tax credits of significant size nationwide.

Both individual tuition tax credits are refundable and are therefore an option for low income families that have little to no tax liability ENROLLMENT & FUNDING INFORMATION Parent Refundable Tax Credits Refundable Tuition Credit For Exceptional Needs Children PUBLIC CHARTER, MAGNET & OTHERS Charter schools are public schools that are created by school districts, colleges, nonprofit organizations, or other entities.

These schools are allowed to determine many of their own policies and practices and they are not allowed to charge tuition. 45 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws allowing for the creation of public charter schools.

Magnet schools, permitted in each of the 50 states, are public schools operated by school districts (or groups of school districts) that allow kids to focus on a specific learning track, such as STEM, medical science, or performing arts. These schools are free to attend and there are more than 4,000 magnet schools across the country.

In some states, there are no freestanding magnet schools, but there are magnet programs available in traditional public schools. OTHER PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE OPTIONS: Virtual Academies/Online Learning STUDENT ELIGIBILITY—REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION: Special needs scholarship programs are private school choice programs designed specifically for students with special needs.

These programs allow students to attend a public or private school that can address their specific learning needs. Twenty of the nation’s fifty private school choice programs are specifically designed to serve students with special needs. MEANS-TESTED QUALIFICATIONS Means-tested programs are designed to empower students from low-income families to attend the school of their parents’ choice.

These programs provide access to quality educational options that low-income families would not otherwise have. Means-preferenced programs give preference to students from low-income families by serving them first, while also allowing students from working class and middle income families to participate. Twenty-seven of the nation’s fifty private school choice programs are either means-tested or means-preferenced.

Universal eligibility programs allow every child, with no restrictions such as income or prior public school attendance, the opportunity to receive a scholarship to attend the school of his or her parent’s choice. Two of the nation’s fifty private school choice programs have universal eligibility.

One additional program is near universal – students from families of all income levels are eligible, unless they already attend private school. Failing schools programs help students stuck in or assigned to persistently low-and-under-performing public schools. These programs allow students to attend the private or public school of their parents’ choice, providing immediate educational options to students.

Eight of the nation’s fifty private school choice programs are failing schools programs. Take action to support school choice in your state and across the country. I want to receive texts from AFC at the phone number provided.

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