39,000 apply for Louisiana private school scholarship program

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — More than 39,000 Louisiana students have applied for the state’s new education scholarship account program that can help families pay for private school tuition and other educational expenses.

The Louisiana Department of Education announced the final application tally Wednesday, following the close of the application window for the Louisiana Giving All True Opportunity to Rise (LA GATOR) Scholarship Program. The program, signed into law by Gov. Jeff Landry last year, is Louisiana’s first statewide education scholarship account (ESA).

Applications were open from March 1 to April 15 for the 2025–2026 school year. According to the department, 39,189 applications were submitted and 34,848 students have already been deemed eligible. About 81% of applicants come from families earning at or below 250% of the federal poverty level, and nearly 3,000 are students with disabilities.

“These astounding numbers show just how vital the Gator Scholarship is to Louisianans,” Landry said in a statement. “This program is helping parents of children with disabilities and low-income families. The Gator Scholarship is finally putting parents in the driver’s seat and allowing them to select the learning environment that best suits their needs and values.”

Under LA GATOR, eligible families can use public funds to cover approved education costs, including nonpublic school tuition and fees, tutoring, textbooks, dual enrollment courses, uniforms, and more. Families may also use the funds for homeschool programs and education therapies.

If there is not enough funding to serve all eligible applicants, awards will be prioritized in the following order:

1. Students currently enrolled in LA GATOR or transitioning from the Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP)
2. Students with disabilities or those from families earning at or below 250% of the federal poverty level
3. Siblings of current LA GATOR or LSP students
4. All other eligible applicants

Applications within the same priority group are ordered by submission time, meaning those who applied earlier will receive preference.

Landry requested $93 million in his executive budget to fund the program. If approved by the legislature, that amount would support approximately 12,000 students—about one-third of those currently eligible. The legislature has until June 12 to finalize the budget and approve funding levels.

The Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget is also expected to vote later this month on whether to extend the state’s current contract with the private company administering the program. That contract is set to expire in June.

The LA GATOR program will fully replace the Louisiana Scholarship Program beginning with the 2025–2026 school year. Officials say over 91% of families currently enrolled in the LSP applied for LA GATOR.

For more information, visit lagator.la.gov.

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