BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Nearly 23,000 Alabama students will receive nearly $125 million in public money for private-school tuition and other education expenses in the first year of the state’s new school choice program, according to the Alabama Department of Revenue. And the review process isn’t yet complete.
“We are actively working through some remaining applications and applications that we have received a request for reconsideration on,” ADOR spokesperson Frank Miles told Alabama Daily News.
About 80% of the total amount to date is being awarded to students planning to attend private schools.
The CHOOSE Act, approved by the Legislature and Gov. Kay Ivey in 2024, creates education savings accounts and offers up to $7,000 for eligible families to use on private school or public school out-of-district tuition and other approved educational expenses. Homeschooling families can receive $2,000 per student, up to $4,000 per family.
Nearly 37,000 students applied before the April 30 deadline, when ADOR was to begin notifying families if they’d been approved.
As of May 8, ADOR had issued 22,857 award notices:
- 6,913 homeschool students: $2,000 each, totaling $13.8 million
- 14,284 private school students: $7,000 each, totaling $100 million
- 1,438 public school students: $7,000 each, totaling $10.1 million
Some applications are still being processed, according to ADOR.
“Since the CHOOSE Act Alabama program was given full funding for the 2025–2026 academic year, we have not had to turn away any eligible student,” Miles said.
Eligibility for the 2025-26 school year is limited to families with adjusted gross incomes below 300% of the federal poverty level – criteria that about 75% of Alabama families meet.
Lawmakers earmarked $180 million for the education savings accounts to be spent for the 2025-26 school year. Any unspent funds will return to the Educational Opportunities Reserve Fund.
An additional 222 students will receive either $2,000 or $7,000, totaling between $400,000 and $1.6 million. They’ve been notified but haven’t yet confirmed their award level.
“Families have until June 30 to upload the enrollment verification at a participating school for the $7,000 award,” Miles said.
More than 230 schools are participating with the program, including two public school systems – Mobile County and Dothan City as well as University Charter School and the Alabama School of Math and Science.