Surge in K-12 Scholarship Applications Signals Growing Demand for School Choice in Florida
In a significant uptick signaling a heightened interest in educational alternatives, over 120,000 families submitted applications for K-12 scholarships during the initial two days of the application period via the Step Up For Students portal. This marks a striking increase compared to approximately 72,000 applications during the same timeframe in the previous year, reflecting a growing trend toward educational choice among Florida families.
Step Up For Students, a non-profit organization, plays a critical role in administering the majority of state-backed scholarships, which assist families in securing funding for private education. Educational analysts, such as Norín Dollard, director of the Florida Policy Institute, have noted that many families are leveraging these vouchers to help subsidize their children’s existing private school attendance. “The last data we received indicated that 70% of new applicants were already enrolled in private schools, highlighting that many families view these vouchers as an opportunity to alleviate their education expenses,” Dollard explained.
Changes in eligibility criteria have further contributed to the rising number of applications. The recent expansion allows a greater number of homeschool students to access these scholarships. “The eligibility for homeschool students is increasing, and starting next year, there will be no numerical cap on applications, thus the growth in interest is understandable,” Dollard remarked.
According to Step Up For Students, the recent surge in applications underscores the value placed by Florida families on the opportunity to select educational paths that align best with their children’s needs. Governor Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Manny Diaz have attributed the state’s improved performance in recent educational assessments and U.S. News & World Report rankings to the benefits of school choice.
As of last month, over 500,000 Florida students are utilizing the state’s voucher program, making it the largest program of its kind in the country. If these students were consolidated into a single district, it would represent the third-largest school district nationally and the largest within Florida.
To adequately support the increasing number of participants in the voucher program, Governor DeSantis has proposed an additional billion in his latest budget. The funding request aims to ensure the sustainability and expansion of the program to meet the needs of the growing applicant base.
Families currently benefiting from these scholarships have until April 30 to renew their applications, with new applicants for programs such as the Personalized Education Program (PEP) and Unique Abilities Scholarships given the same deadline. Detailed figures released by Step Up For Students reveal that nearly 63,400 students applied for Private School scholarships, about 33,900 for Unique Abilities scholarships for students with special needs, and nearly 25,700 for the Personalized Education Program designed for full-time homeschool students.
This recent rise in scholarship applications illustrates a dynamic shift in public sentiment toward educational flexibility and reinforces the significance of school choice as a key component of Florida’s educational landscape.
