Florida’s two school choice scholarship programs break participation record
August 22, 2023
By Andrew Powell
The Center Square
The state of Florida says a record number of students are either participating or have applied to the state’s two school choice scholarship programs.
In a news release, Gov. Ron DeSantis stated that almost 430,000 scholarship applications had been received for the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and the Family Empowerment Scholarship programs.
The release said that out of those applications, 407,000 scholarships had already been awarded to students.
“With our historic move to universal school choice, families in record numbers are choosing the best educational options for their children. I am proud of the work we have done so far, but we’re far from done — we will continue to empower parents and expand opportunities so that our students receive the best possible education,” DeSantis said in a news release.
School choice was expanded during the state’s 2023 legislative session with the passing of House Bill 1, which went into effect on July 1. The bill expanded eligibility for both scholarship programs by eliminating certain income restrictions and allowing any eligible student who is a Florida resident enrolled in kindergarten through 12 to apply.
According to the news release, there are 250,000 more students in the scholarship programs than in 2022.