Florida School Choice – Enrollment
In its efforts to expand educational access and achievement, the State of Florida supports the educational choices of its citizens at all levels, from elementary school through post-secondary education. Like Opportunity Scholarships, each of the following programs allows students to use publicly funded scholarships, grants or tax credits for education at public, private non-religious and religious schools. And each of these programs may be vulnerable to legal challenge if Opportunity Scholarships are declared unconstitutional.
More than 200,000 Florida students currently exercise publicly funded school choice for K-12 and post-secondary education.
Enrollment in Florida Educational Choice Programs1
| K-12 | |
| Opportunity Scholarships |
690 |
| McKay Scholarships for Children with Disabilities |
13,700 |
| Corporate Tax Credit Scholarships |
11,500 |
| Post-Secondary | |
| Bright Futures Scholarships |
112,000 |
| Florida Resident Access Grants |
35,462 |
| Private Student Assistance Grants |
11,477 |
| Florida Post-Secondary Student Assistance Grants |
10,714 |
| Jose Marti Scholarship Challenge Grants |
58 |
| Mary McLeod Bethune Scholarships |
238 |
| Critical Teacher Shortage Student Loan Forgiveness |
2,106 |
| Minority Teacher Education Scholars |
937 |
| Total |
198,882 |
[1] Figures for Opportunity Scholarships and McKay Scholarships from Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, Florida Department of Education, and are for the 2004-05 school year. Figures for Corporate Tax Credit Scholarships are from Step Up for Students and are for the 2003-04 school year. Figures for post-secondary programs are from the Office of Student Financial Assistance, Florida Department of Education, and are for 2003-04.