Key Points

Across the country and in Georgia, parents have been calling for more choice and flexibility in K-12 education. Several states have responded to parents’ needs by adopting education savings account (ESA) programs, but Georgia has been slow to catch up. 

In 2024, Georgia took a major step forward by passing the state’s first-ever education savings account program, the Georgia Promise Scholarship. Starting in the 2025 school year, this program will give eligible families $6,500 state-funded scholarships that they can use to afford the education option best suited to their child’s needs. 

Here’s what parents and voters need to know about Georgia’s newest education opportunity. 

What is the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233)? 

The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233) is a type of education choice program for parents and families. It creates Promise Scholarships, which are state-administered, state-funded accounts that would give families $6,500 per year and per student to use for approved education expenses. Another common name for this type of program is “education savings accounts.” 

An important distinction for Georgia Promise Scholarships: Eligibility is limited to students in the bottom 25% of Georgia’s public schools. 

How will the Georgia Promise Scholarship work?

The state will set aside the scholarship amount into an account the parent can direct. Parents can use these funds for the education option that best supports their child’s unique learning needs.

In 2024, Georgia Representatives made a few changes to the Promise Scholarship bill that limit its impact:

Funding Cap: Even though Promise Scholarship funding will be separate from public school funding, it cannot exceed 1% of public school funding. At this level, the program can serve an estimated 21,000-22,000 kids at most.

Expiration Date: Unless a future legislative body evaluates the program and chooses to extend it, the Promise Scholarships will end in 10 years. Furthermore, lawmakers will still have to vote to fund the program annually. These measures add a layer of uncertainty, making it difficult to secure a future of success and opportunity for our kids.

Who can apply for a Promise Scholarship? 

To be eligible, families and students must meet the following criteria:

• Parents must be Georgia residents.
• The student must be enrolled in an under-performing public school.  
• The student may be entering pre-kindergarten or kindergarten.
• Once eligible, a child remains eligible through 12th grade. 
• The student cannot be enrolled in a local school system, charter school, or state charter school while participating in the scholarship program.
• Parents must agree to use accounts only for qualifying education expenses.

First priority will be given to students from families below 400% of the federal poverty level—around $120,000 a year for a family of four. Students above that threshold will be allowed to participate if funds are left over after lower-income students are served.

What could Georgia parents use a Promise Scholarship for?

Unlike Georgia’s other school choice programs, Promise Scholarships give parents the flexibility to pay for a range of education options and resouces. Qualifying education expenses include: 

Are Promise Scholarships currently available in Georgia?

Almost! Georgia passed the Georgia Promise Scholarship in April 2024, and parents will be able to use the program starting in Fall 2025. 

Why does Georgia need Promise Scholarships?

Are Promise Scholarships the same thing as school vouchers?

No, they are two different types of parental choice programs. This question is common because critics of education savings accounts often call them “private school scholarships” or “vouchers by another name.” However, both descriptions are inaccurate and misleading.

School vouchers allow parents to use public education dollars for private school tuition only. Education savings accounts can be used for a wider range of education expenses, and they allow parents more flexibility to pay for multiple education services and products if desired.

Are Promise Scholarships the same thing as 529 plans?

No. With a 529 plan, the parents are responsible for contributing money to the account in order to save for their child’s education expenses. Promise Scholarships would be state-funded and would not require parents to contribute any of their own money. Parents can choose to use a Promise Scholarship Account for education savings, such as saving for college tuition, but the account doesn’t have the same tax benefits that 529 plans do.

Do other states have education savings accounts? 

Yes, 16 states have adopted some form of an education savings account program, including most of Georgia’s neighboring states:

• Arizona and Florida have the most universal education savings account programs—every student statewide is eligible to apply.
• Florida recently expanded its program to universal school choice, removing all caps previously placed on Florida’s education savings account program.
• In a 2023 bipartisan effort, North Carolina opened its ESA program to all its students, putting it on track to be the nation’s second largest after Florida. 
• South Carolina and Indiana have adopted nearly universal education opportunity.
• In 2024, Alabama passed its version of an ESA program, called the CHOOSE Act, which gives parents $7,000 per student to use for the education option of their choice.

Many states with ESA programs are moving to a universal eligibility set-up, where every kid has access regardless of income, race, zip code, or other circumstance. Georgia will need to be open to this model if we want to keep up and give our kids the best possible opportunities at school and in life. 

Will SB 233 take money away from Georgia’s public schools?

No. The $6,500 scholarship would be funded separately from the Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula that funds students who attend traditional public schools.

While ESAs will be a good solution for certain families, many parents will continue to access education through their local public school. That means states will still need to prioritize sufficient funding for public schools.

Will Promise Scholarships help low-income families? 

Yes. One benefit of education savings account programs is that they are one of the most equitable education choice methods out there. They give students from low-income families more opportunities to access schooling options that are often only available to families with greater financial resources.

The Georgia Promise Scholarship bill makes an intentional effort to support low-income students by giving first priority to students from families below 400% of the federal poverty level (around $120,000 a year for a family of four). 

Will the Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233) hurt homeschooling families? 

No. There are no provisions in the proposed law that would prevent homeschooling families from continuing this schooling option. Instead, SB 233 could make homeschooling an even more feasible option because families who qualify could use an account to pay for curriculum, courses, tutoring, or other educational resources that would enhance their homeschooling experience.

Related Resources

Georgia Passes Promise Scholarships and Exapnds Education Opportunity 

Promise Schoolarships Cross Major Hurdle 

The Georgia Promise Scholarship: What Private Schools Need to Know 

What is the Georgia Promise Scholarship? (Georgia Public Policy Foundation)

The Public School Benefits of Education Savings Accounts (Goldwater Institute)

Why homeschool families should support ESAs or at least not oppose them (Goldwater Institute)

Georgia Promise Scholarship in the News

Georgia Students Need More Schooling Choices (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Governor’s Signature on School Choice Bill Is Good First Step (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Georgia Governor Signs Bill to Launch ‘Promise Scholarships’ (Washington Examiner)

Kemp backs $6,500 “voucher” measure (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Promise Scholarships Offer True Accountability (The Brunswick News)