For Tricia Ratcliffe, help with school tuition has meant less financial stress and the chance to keep her daughter, Rossi, with her friends at a school she loves.
Gov. Kay Ivey introduced the family Friday as one of thousands across Alabama receiving assistance through the CHOOSE Act, the state’s education savings account program.
Rossalyn “Rossi” Ratcliffe, 11, is a sixth grader at Pike Liberal Arts School in Troy. For her mother, choosing a school also meant finding an environment that could support her daughter’s individual learning needs.
Tricia adopted Rossi from India when she was 2. Rossi was diagnosed with double deficit dyslexia in third grade and also has a hearing impairment, according to the governor’s office.
CHOOSE Act assistance helps cover her tuition. According to the governor’s office, Rossi also participates in an Individualized Education Program, or IEP, that provides support outside school.
“The CHOOSE Act has relieved so much stress for my family. I am thankful that Rossi has been able to stay with her friends at a school that she loves. Her happiness is worth a million dollars to me. Thank you to Governor Ivey for doing this,” Tricia said.
Tricia owns SheBang!! Clog Dance Company in Troy, where she teaches clogging. Her daughter stays busy, too, with dance, karate, gymnastics and swimming.
At school, Rossi enjoys STEM and art, along with physical education. The hands-on activities make STEM a favorite, and outside the classroom, she likes riding her bicycle around the neighborhood with her dog, Flower.
“Tricia is a perfect example of a hardworking Alabama parent that just wants the best education available for her child,” said Governor Ivey. “I am proud that the CHOOSE Act has helped Rossi not only stay at a school that she loves but afford the kind of outside help she needs to thrive.”
Other families at Pike Liberal Arts have used CHOOSE Act assistance to remain at the school or transfer there, according to the governor’s office.
“I have seen firsthand the positive impact Governor Kay Ivey’s CHOOSE Act has had on families across Alabama,” Head of School Amy Allen said. “The program has provided meaningful financial relief, allowing many parents to choose the educational environment they believe best meets the unique needs of their children.”
Statewide, 34,322 eligible students are using CHOOSE Act funds for approved educational expenses, according to the governor’s office.
The program provides education savings accounts funded through refundable income tax credits. Families can use the assistance for tuition, fees and other approved expenses, including textbooks, curriculum, educational software, computers, school supplies and tutoring.
For the 2026-27 school year, new families must have an adjusted gross income no greater than 300% of the federal poverty level for the preceding tax year. Beginning with the 2027-28 school year, the income requirement will be removed.
Tricia encouraged other parents to consider the assistance available to them.
“It is worth every minute it takes to apply. The CHOOSE Act is for regular, working-class people who are trying hard every day to provide the best possible education for their children, and Governor Ivey gets that. If getting help where help is available is what you have to do for your child to succeed, then do it.” she said.
The application period for the 2026-27 school year has closed. Eligibility information, program updates and parent guides are available at chooseact.alabama.gov.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
