This article is intended for Louisiana parents to have more information about the GATOR Program.
The Louisiana Giving All True Opportunity Scholarship Program, or LA GATOR Program, allows parents to use part of their tax dollars to provide the best educational opportunities for their child. Enacted by the 2024 Louisiana legislature (Act 1), this new program will for the first time ever provide education scholarship accounts (ESAs) to
Louisiana families. ESAs in K-12 education create a publicly funded and government-authorized savings account with restricted but diverse uses such as private school tuition assistance, tutoring, online learning, or other approved expenses.
The LA GATOR Program will replace the existing Louisiana choice voucher program, commonly referred to as the Louisiana Scholarship Program. The existing school voucher program will be in effect until the end of the 2024-2025 school year. After June 30, 2025, the program will be discontinued.
LA GATOR will be administered by the Louisiana Department of Education. The amount of funds allocated to family accounts will be determined by the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). Implementation of LA GATOR will be phased in over the course of multiple years, with the initial phase prioritizing students who participated in the Louisiana Scholarship Program voucher program the previous school year.