LA GATOR Scholarship Program Policy

During the 2024 Regular Legislative Session, Act 1 created the Louisiana Giving True Opportunity to Rise (LA GATOR) Scholarship Program to provide educational savings accounts for parental choice in K-12 education. Act 1 required revisions to Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) policy contained in Bulletin 133 - Scholarship Programs. LA GATOR Scholarship Program policy can be downloaded or viewed below.

LA GATOR Program Funding

Funding of student accounts is subject to annual legislative appropriation of state funds available for the program. Neither BESE nor the LDOE is obligated to provide funding in any year in which funding is not appropriated or is insufficient to provide account deposits to all eligible students.

If allocated funds are insufficient to fund all students eligible for LA GATOR Program participation, an award process shall be established by the LDOE as follows: Students shall be prioritized for participation in the following order:

students currently participating in the Louisiana Scholarship Program or the LA GATOR Program;
students from a family with a total income at or below two hundred fifty percent of the federal poverty guidelines and students identified as having a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. §1401;
siblings of students currently participating in the LA GATOR Program;
other eligible students.

Eligible students for whom funding is not available will be placed on a waiting list according to the prioritization criteria in this Section.

Students placed on a waiting list will be notified of their status and initial position on the waiting list.

The maximum annual award amount to which participating students are entitled under the LA GATOR Program shall be calculated based on the prior year Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) formula average state and local per pupil amount times a specific percent. The 2024-2025 MFP state and local per pupil amount is $9,533. For the 2025-2026 school year, the award will be the following:

for a student identified as having a disability consistent with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. § 1401, an award up to one hundred sixty percent of the amount, or up to $15,253; Amounts awarded will be calculated according to a tiered methodology established by the LDOE;
for a student from a family with a total income that does not exceed two hundred fifty percent of the federal poverty guidelines, an award equal to eighty percent of the amount, or $7,626;
for any other student, an award equal to fifty-five percent of the amount, or $5,243.

The maximum annual award amount to which LA GATOR participating students are entitled shall be adjusted in any school year for which the approved prior year MFP formula average state and local per pupil amount increases.

Students having participated in the Louisiana Scholarship Program during the 2024-2025 school year, subject to the allocation of state funds, shall be awarded an amount equal to the award amount received during the 2024-2025 school year and shall continue to receive this award until the student completes the school’s terminal grade or until the student leaves the school, whichever comes first.