Opportunity Scholarships

The Opportunity Scholarship program is one of the most impactful policies the Reform Majority has implemented.

The policy centers on this premise: It’s good when parents have options in where to educate their children, and the more options the better.

That basic premise has guided the Reform Majority’s education policy for more than a decade. Traditional public schools, public magnet schools, public charter schools, private schools, home schools – the diversity of options available to North Carolina parents is a strength, not a weakness.

Opportunity Scholarships provide funding to parents to help cover the cost of a child attending a private school. After all, if parents are to have options to choose from, then public education dollars should be available to fund those options, and the more options the better.

Scholarship funds totaling $3,000-$7,000 per child are available on a sliding scale according to a family’s income.

One of the Reform Majority’s most impactful policies was the creation of the Opportunity Scholarship program.

FUNDING SHORTFALL

In 2024, the program exploded in popularity. More than 70,000 applications were submitted, but there is only enough funding for less than half of the students who seek the benefit.

State legislators passed a bill in September 2024 to increase Opportunity Scholarship funding to clear the waitlist. Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed it.

There is tremendous demand for parents seeking the best educational environment for their children, and we respectfully encourage lawmakers to override Gov. Cooper’s veto and come through for North Carolina families.