Application Period for Louisiana Statewide Voucher Program Underway

Hundreds of thousands of newly-eligible children encouraged to submit applications prior to June 29 deadline

BATON ROUGE, La., May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Parents can now apply to participate in Louisiana's recently expanded voucher program, which extends eligibility to nearly 380,000 children statewide to receive state-funded scholarships to attend a participating private or public school of their parents' choice.

Enacted in 2008 for families in Orleans Parish, the Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence (SSEE) program was expanded last month to students across the state. With the passage of House Bill 976, K-12 students statewide who currently attend a public school labeled "C," "D", or "F," are eligible to participate in the program, which currently serves over 1,800 students exclusively in New Orleans. Students entering kindergarten for the 2012-2013 school year also are eligible.  

In addition to these requirements, families must have a household income not exceeding 250 percent of the federal poverty guideline ($47,725 for a family of three, $57,625 for a family of four, $67,525 for a family of five, and $77,425 for a family of six).

Parents can apply to enroll their children in the program by downloading an application online at www.LAScholarshipProgram.com. Applications will also be accessible on-site at any participating school. Completed applications must be submitted to a participating school no later than Friday, June 29.

Scholarship recipients will be determined through a prioritized lottery operated by the Department of Education. All applicants will be notified of the lottery results no later than July 31.

"After seeing tremendous success from the program in New Orleans, we are excited that this opportunity has been expanded to families in need throughout our state," said the Louisiana Federation for Children's Lauren Perry. "We urge eligible parents to seize this opportunity to provide their child with a quality education and renewed hope for a much brighter future."

More than 100 schools are participating in the first year of the expanded program offering nearly 5,000 seats.

For more information about the sign-up period, visit www.LAScholarshipProgram.com. 

Louisiana Federation for Children is a project of the American Federation for Children. To learn more visit www.Louisiana4Children.org. 

SOURCE Louisiana Federation for Children