Governor Kay Ivey reported Tuesday that there has been significant public interest among Alabama students and their families in gaining access to funding provided through the state’s CHOOSE Act.
According to Ivey’s office, a total of 22,167 applications were received for a total of 36,873 students by the close of the application window on Monday at midnight.
The CHOOSE Act, signed into law in March 2024, provides $100 million in annual ESA funding for eligible families through the management of the Alabama Department of Revenue.
Once found eligible to be admitted into the program, families can receive a $7,000 ESA to enter their student into a private or public school at the beginning of the next academic year. Those homeschooled will be up for a $2,000 ESA with a limit of $4,000 for each family.
“The CHOOSE Act, Alabama’s education savings account program, will allow more taxpaying Alabama families the opportunity to choose a school that meets their child’s individual needs,” said Ivey. “We are highly encouraged by the strong response in year one of the program. We have received applications from all of Alabama’s 67 counties and from a wide range of families. Clearly, taxpaying Alabama families want school choice!”
Per the Governor’s office, the applications came from a wide range of families, with 58.6% being White and 41.4% being a minority. Additonally, families who applied came from all school backgrounds, including 10,287 students from Public schools (Public and Charter); 15,436 students from Private schools; 9,070 from homeschooled; 1,593 First Entering Kindergarten; and 487 others.
Thousands of students in every grade level (from entering Kindergarten to the 12th grade) have applied. There is almost an even split in genders, with 18,316 females and 18,550 males (with seven incomplete) having applied. There are 4,910 special needs students who applied for the initiative. 124 families that are active-duty military living in a priority school district are looking to take part in the program as well.
Once deemed eligible, families will be notified in May, and Alabama students can begin using their ESA funds for approved expenses starting in July.
Austen Shipley is the News Director for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten
