Jacksonville, Florida — On Friday, January 10, 2025, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida has surpassed 500,000 students participating in Florida’s school choice scholarship program; more than 30,000 students are participating in the New Worlds Scholarship Accounts Program, and an additional 18,000 students are utilizing the transportation stipend created by House Bill 1 in 2023.
“Florida is the number one state for education because of our commitment to providing every student with the option that works best for them,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “I am proud that we have enabled over 500,000 students to access a high-quality education that fits their individual needs.”
“...Florida continues to lead the way in providing the best educational opportunities for every student.,” said Florida Department of Education Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. “I am proud to see how many Florida families we are helping through school choice programs.”
In 2023, House Bill 1 established universal school choice. The bill eliminated financial eligibility restrictions and the enrollment cap for the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options. House Bill 1 also increased the annual scholarship cap growth for the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities and created a new opportunity for Florida students not enrolled full time in a public or private school to participate in the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program through a parent-directed Personalized Education Program. House Bill 1 also added a transportation stipend to the Florida Empowerment Scholarship Program. Nearly 1.4 million students now utilize a school choice option in Florida.
Highlights of participation in Florida’s school choice programs for 2024-25 include:
- More than 524,000 scholarships awarded under the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC), Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES EO) and the Florida Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Disabilities (FES UA).
- 107,000 Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Scholarships, including Personalized Education Plans.
- 295,105 Florida Empowerment Scholarship Educational Options Scholarships.
- 121,907 Florida Empowerment Scholarships for Students with Disabilities
- More than 30,000 students to receive New Worlds Scholarship Accounts to access tutoring, curriculum and other supplemental support.
- Another 18,000 students utilizing Florida Empowerment Scholarship Transportation Stipend to commute to schools outside their designated school zone.
For more information about Florida’s school choice programs, visit https://www.fldoe.org/schools/school-choice.
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