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Tennessee has awarded personal faculty vouchers to college students in 86 of the state’s 95 counties, the training division introduced Friday after weeks of dodging questions across the new program.
Although the state obtained functions this summer season from all however one county, voucher funds is not going to circulate to college students in 9 counties: Benton, Fentress, Hardin, Henry, Jackson, Lake, Pickett, Scott, and Weakley counties.
It’s not clear why candidates from these counties weren’t chosen for this system, although software timing and entry to non-public faculty enrollment might play an element.
As of Friday, 19,997 scholarships out of 20,000 have been awarded, and college students are enrolled of their chosen faculty. Three scholarships are at present within the appeals course of, the division stated.
Tennessee Republicans earlier this 12 months launched the Schooling Freedom Scholarship program with 20,000 slots accessible for the 2025 faculty 12 months, 10,000 of which had been reserved for an income-capped pool of about $175,000 for a household of 4. Functions for the scholarships had been cut up evenly between the 2 swimming pools, the division stated.
This system is anticipated to price the state $1.1 billion through the first 5 years, in keeping with a state evaluation.
Although this system is restricted to twenty,000 members this 12 months, mechanisms within the present legislation imply Tennessee lawmakers might broaden this system subsequent 12 months.
