SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC)- Applications for the Georgia Promise Scholarship will open March 1. It will give eligible Georgia families $6,500 for private school tuition or homeschool expenses.
The state is expected to spend $141 million for the vouchers.
“With this voucher, it gives parents and opportunity to seek out a smaller classroom size or a Christian school that they might not have thought they wanted to, or couldn’t be a part of, because of the cost,” said Felicia Brooks, the director of admissions at Bethesda Academy, an all-boys private school in Savannah.
Bethesda Academy is one of 11 Savannah schools that will accept Georgia Promise vouchers for the 2025-2026 academic year.
“The Georgia promise scholarship is going to be beneficial to a lot of families,” Brooks said.
As the application pool opens, many have split opinions about its impact. Melanie Arias attends a private college but once went to a private school for Kindergarten through 1st grade. She says she couldn’t continue because of its high costs.
“I like the idea of having a one of one with the teacher, I needed more on-hands time to actually learn,” Arias said.
Several Democratic lawmakers at the state capitol this month, co-sponsored a new bill to repeal the program. One of them, Representative Al Williams from our area. Our Jasmine Butler spoke with him Friday over the phone. He says while the bill has good intentions, he feels it takes away from public education money. And if parents want their students to attend private schools, they should pay for it.
Williams says he is not hopeful that the repeal will pass.
Funding will be available on or after July 1.
You can find out if your student is eligible here.
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