ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A state-funded scholarship program is giving some Georgia families an alternative as the new school year begins.
The Georgia Promise Scholarship offers up to $6,500 per student to help cover the cost of private school, homeschooling, tutoring or therapy. The program is open to students who are zoned for public schools ranked in the bottom 25% statewide.
So far, more than 15,000 families have applied, and just over half have been approved, according to data from the Georgia Student Finance Commission.
Among approved applicants:
The state legislature allocated $141 million to fund the program — enough to support more than 20,000 students.
Supporters of school choice said it’s a meaningful step toward giving parents control over their children’s education.
Holly Terei, a former voucher student and longtime advocate for education alternatives, said she believes the program will have a long-term impact.
“In the coming years, when students are graduating, the testimonials will show how this scholarship changed the trajectory of their lives,” Terei said.
Terei is helping families navigate the application process — including at her own daughter’s private school. She believes more families would apply if the eligibility requirements were expanded.
“If a school’s failing one child, then it’s failing that child — and that’s enough,” she said.
But critics, including the Georgia Federation of Teachers, argue that public dollars would be better spent improving struggling schools.
“We’re failing our schools when we don’t properly fund them,” said Verdaillia Turner, president of the federation.
To remain eligible for the scholarship, families must administer an annual assessment to their child. The next application window opens Sept. 1.
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