The law creates the “Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program,” granting residents tax credits if they donate to certain educational assistance organizations.

Students in St. Louis will have access to scholarships that could help them pay to attend a school of their choice and access other educational supports thanks to a new policy signed into law in mid-July by Gov. Mike Parson.

The law creates the “Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program,” granting residents tax credits if they donate to certain educational assistance organizations. The educational organizations will then be able to grant the money to individual students and their families – prioritizing low-income students and students with special needs – to be used to supplement their educational options and resources.

If students receive a scholarship and leave their resident district, the bill allows the students’ original districts to continue to count those students for state aid purposes for five years after they leave. This provision of the law will end in five years.

Supporters of the law say that the scholarships will provide students with greater opportunities to get the educational services they need and deserve. Opponents say the program will detract students and state dollars from an already beleaguered public school system.

Stay tuned to the Navigate STL Schools Blog for more information on this program as it develops, including how to apply and utilize these scholarship funds to benefit your child.

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