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MACON, Ga. — The state is getting closer to opening applications for Georgia’s private school voucher program. Parents can apply for a $6,500 Promise Scholarship starting March 1.
The rollout of the program was delayed when the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement needed to produce a new list of the state’s bottom 25% schools based on performance. Now it’s out again for parents to look at.
Parent Veronica Benitez said she formed a backup plan in case the state didn’t release a new list of eligible schools and open applications on time.
“It was a little worrisome,” she said. “I was a little stressed because I didn’t know besides the schools that they have available for the scholarships. I had to look at other schools just in case.”
CEO and President of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation Kyle Wingfield said there are fewer schools on the new bottom schools list.
“Parents can now go look at that at mygeorgiapromise.org and see if either the elementary, middle, or high school that their child is zoned for is on that list,” he said. “If they are, they’re eligible.”
The state signed Senate Bill 233 into law in 2024 to make more education options available for families. Wingfield said the program’s startup took longer than expected because the state created everything from scratch, including the website and application. And the list of worst-performing schools involved thousands of data points.
“We’re starting a little bit later maybe than would be ideal for families, and you can see that reflected,” Wingfield said. “They’ve already said that pretty much for next fall, fall of 2026, they’re going to open the applications for that December 1 and run that through the month of January. That’s really the kind of schedule that they’ll want to maintain going forward.”
Wingfield said parents should remain confident that the program will work. Governor Brian Kemp’s budget proposal called for $141 million to establish the Promise Scholarship program. That’s enough for more than 20,000 student scholarships, but Benitez knows she will have to act fast.
“I’m pretty sure they’re going to fill up really quick,” she said. “I am going to keep my eye open and be checking in and apply immediately or as soon as I possibly can.”
Wingfield said the first application phase will be March 1 through April 15. There will be two more periods to apply in June and September.
While Governor Kemp and many republican legislators back the voucher program, many democrats are still opposed. Recently, State Representative Floyd Griffin introduced a bill — House Bill 436 — to repeal the Promise Scholarship program. Griffin, a democrat from Milledgeville said the program will divert resources from public schools and does little to help families in rural districts.
RELATED: LIST: Georgia updates list of schools where students could be eligible for private school vouchers
