WASHINGTON, D.C. – Fourteen states offer a total of 24 programs that provide financial support for parents to enroll their K-12 children in private schools, typically through scholarship-like tuition assistance, tax credits or tax deduction programs, according to a new federal tally. The report was cited in the latest newsletter of the Council for American Private Education.
The number of assistance programs inched up from 22 when the U.S. Department of Education last counted in 2007, the report said. Between August 2007 and December 2008, three new programs in Georgia and Louisiana were added and a Utah program was repealed, for a net increase of two.
The federal report also noted that parents have more choices in the public education sector, including growing numbers of charter, virtual and magnet schools.
The online report lists and describes assistance programs in the respective states, according to the Council article, including numbers of participants and average or maximum awards. Michigan does not offer a tax credit or tuition assistance program.
SOURCES:
Council for American Private Education, “CAPEnotes,” April 2009
U.S. Department of Education, “Educational Options in the States,” February 2009
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, “The Universal Tuition Tax Credit: A Proposal to Advance Parental Choice in Education,” Nov. 13, 1997
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a nonprofit research and educational institute that advances the principles of free markets and limited government. Through our research and education programs, we challenge government overreach and advocate for a free-market approach to public policy that frees people to realize their potential and dreams.
Please consider contributing to our work to advance a freer and more prosperous state.