RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The application period for North Carolina’s expanded school voucher program opened Thursday after the General Assembly voted last year to make every family eligible for funding to help pay for private school.
The Opportunity Scholarship program previously had an income cap but now any family can apply. The amount a family could receive varies based on income, with those at the lower end of the scale eligible for the highest scholarship amounts.
The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority administers the program and confirmed the website crashed shortly after midnight Thursday as people began to apply.
“The application is up and working now. Our vendor had an issue overnight that was resolved well before the start of business hours. It looks like fewer than 200 applicants were impacted, and we’re reaching out to them now to make sure they can apply,” writes Mary Shuping, NCSEAA director of government and external affairs, in an email.
Shuping noted people could experience delays in the first few days of the application period. But, she said there is no advantage to applying early and families can continue to apply until March 1.