The Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Account program was passed into law in the 2021 session and went into effect last fall. This law creates scholarships that will help some Missouri families pay for things such as tuition, tutoring, online classes, educational therapies, and other education expenses. However, the necessary rulemaking and appropriations for administering the law have only just been completed. In the interest of getting eligible students signed up and scholarship accounts opened for them, the state treasurer’s office has issued emergency rules that went into effect at the end of April.
These rules govern the types of scholarship organizations that can be created, the types of programs that are eligible to receive scholarship funds, including certified homeschool, and the final eligibility requirements for students who can apply for the scholarships. The only remaining hurdle is getting taxpayers to donate to the program.
The wheels of government don’t always move quickly, but at least in this case they have moved. Hopefully, by the fall, nearly 5,000 Missouri students will have Empowerment Scholarships Accounts. Missouri parents are finally getting more options for directing the education of their children without having to move.
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