(The Center Square) – In passing an education scholarship bill this 12 months, South Carolina lawmakers adopted a national trend of permitting extra mother and father to decide on the place to ship their youngsters to high school.
Under S.39, the Educational Scholarship Trust Fund, eligible college students — state residents with “a press release of Medicaid eligibility” — can obtain scholarships of as much as $6,000. They can use the cash to cowl educational supplies, tutoring, laptop {hardware}, assessments, transportation, tuition and charges.
“South Carolina’s S.39 is without doubt one of the new applications that handed in 2023,” Shaka Mitchell, a senior fellow for the American Federation for Children, advised The Center Square through electronic mail. “Students are set to start utilizing this system in 2024 and funds will be directed by mother and father in quite a few methods to customise the education for the person baby.
“At the identical time, there are different measures being thought of in South Carolina like a tuition tax credit score program,” Mitchell added. “All to say, it appears the levee has lastly damaged in South Carolina and the legislature is responding to oldsters’ name for instructional freedom.”
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, signed the measure in May, and it may be step one in education reform. House Republicans beforehand mentioned the laws “lays the groundwork for broader laws that can totally empower South Carolina mother and father in making instructional selections for his or her kids.”
“If political actions had a championship, then the varsity selection motion simply completed a three-peat,” Nathan Cunneen, a communications strategist for AFC, advised The Center Square through electronic mail. “2021 was the most effective 12 months for varsity selection in historical past, after which 2022 was the most effective 12 months for varsity selection in historical past, after which 2023 was the most effective 12 months for varsity selection in historical past.
“Already in 2023, 16 states handed laws to offer households a selection relating to their education, and 6 of these did it on a common foundation,” Cunneen added. “There’s nonetheless an excellent likelihood for extra victories in Texas, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina this 12 months. Further, college selection continues to rise in reputation. New polling exhibits that 71% of Americans help college selection. Additionally, 70% of Asian, 73% of Black, 71% of Hispanic, and 71% of White voters help college selection.”
https://readlion.com/south-carolina-education-scholarship-bill-aligns-with-national-trend/
