BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Thousands of Alabama families are seeking public funds to support private or alternative education, with 36,873 students applying for the state’s new CHOOSE Act education savings accounts.
While some families are pursuing new schooling options, a majority of applicants are already enrolled in private school, homeschool, or other setting.
The program, which lawmakers have so far dedicated $100 million to, is expected to cover about 14,400 accounts worth up to $7,000 each next year.
Gov. Kay Ivey’s office announced the figures Tuesday, saying 22,167 families submitted applications from all 67 counties.
“We are highly encouraged by the strong response in year one of the program,” Ivey said in a statement. “Clearly, taxpaying Alabama families want school choice!”
The CHOOSE Act, passed by the Legislature in 2024, allows families to apply for state funds to help pay for education expenses outside the traditional public school system. ESA amounts are capped at $7,000 per student attending a participating private or public school and $2,000 for homeschooled students not enrolled in a participating school.
The governor’s office released a breakdown of applicants by their current educational status, shown in the chart below. Click here if you’re unable to see the chart.
Applicants represent a range of backgrounds. According to the release, 59% of students are white and 41% are minority. There is a nearly even split in gender, with 18,316 female applicants and 18,550 male. Students from all grades – kindergarten through twelfth – applied for ESAs.
To be eligible, families must earn less than 300% of the federal poverty level—$93,600 for a family of four. According to the Alabama Department of Revenue, about 75% of families in the state are eligible based on that income threshold.
ADOR said ESA awards will be prioritized by income, starting with families at the lowest income levels. After income is considered, priority will be given to certain student groups. The first 500 ESAs will go to students with disabilities. Next in line are students from active-duty military families who are zoned for priority schools, which are those that received D or F grades on the state report card.
Among applicants, 4,910 are students with disabilities and 124 are from active-duty military families, according to the governor’s office.
Some public school students may also qualify for CHOOSE Act funds if they attend an out-of-district public school that charges tuition and has chosen to participate. As of April 7, 235 private schools and two public schools had agreed to participate. ADOR officials said schools can be added to the approved list at any time during the year.
The Alabama Department of Education said about 32,850 students currently attend public schools outside of their assigned districts. Of those, approximately 13,000 attend a virtual school. It remains unclear how many of those students pay tuition and could be eligible for the program.
The CHOOSE Act is Alabama’s second school choice initiative. The first, the Alabama Accountability Act, offers income-based scholarships of up to $10,000. However, students are not permitted to receive both forms of assistance.