More Florida students soon will be eligible for private-school vouchers under controversial legislation recently signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott.
Here are the details:
Q. What does the new law do?
The new law expands the Tax-Credit Scholarship Program, which already provides private-school scholarships to low-income students, from $4,880 to $5,272. That means parents might have to pay less out of pocket to meet a private school’s cost. And it makes more students eligible for the program by removing a requirement for prior-year public-school attendance and by bumping up the family income rules starting in 2016. In a few years, some kids from middle-class families (income up to $60,000) could be eligible for partial scholarships.
Q. Who pays for the scholarships?
The program is funded by corporate donations, with companies getting credits for state taxes they would otherwise owe in exchange for those donations.
Q. Does Florida have other voucher programs?
Yes, there is also the McKay Scholarship program, which provides private-school tuition vouchers to children with disabilities.
