Montgomery, AL – The application period for Alabama’s newly launched education savings account program, known as the CHOOSE Act, closed at midnight with nearly 37,000 students seeking to participate in its first year. According to state officials, 22,167 applications were submitted, accounting for a total of 36,873 students from across all 67 counties.
The CHOOSE Act, signed into law earlier this year, is designed to provide taxpaying families with state-funded education savings accounts (ESAs) to help cover the cost of approved educational expenses. These may include tuition, tutoring, textbooks, and other related services. The program aims to give families greater flexibility in selecting the educational environment that best suits their child’s needs.
In a statement released following the application deadline, Governor Kay Ivey emphasized the level of interest in the program.
“The CHOOSE Act, Alabama’s education savings account program, will allow more taxpaying Alabama families the opportunity to choose a school that meets their child’s individual needs,” said Governor Ivey. “We are highly encouraged by the strong response in year one of the program. We have received applications from all of Alabama’s 67 counties and from a wide range of families. Clearly, taxpaying Alabama families want school choice!”
Preliminary demographic data shows a diverse applicant pool. Of the total students represented, 58.6% are White and 41.4% are from minority backgrounds. Applicants come from a variety of educational settings, including 15,436 students from private schools, 10,287 from public or charter schools, 9,070 from homeschool settings, 1,593 entering kindergarten, and 487 from other categories.
Applications span all grade levels, from kindergarten through 12th grade. Gender distribution among applicants is nearly even, with 18,316 females and 18,550 males, while seven applications were submitted without complete gender information.
The program has also attracted interest from specific groups. A total of 4,910 students with special needs are among the applicants, along with 124 children from families serving in the military and residing in priority school districts.
Eligibility determinations are expected to be made in May. Once approved, families will be able to begin using their ESA funds in July for designated educational purposes.
The CHOOSE Act represents a significant shift in Alabama’s approach to education funding and school choice, and officials will be monitoring the program’s implementation and outcomes in its inaugural year.
