Local residents are fortunate to be in the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach City School systems. Both have scored in the top of the State of Alabama's education testing, as well as, school safety. But some area students would like more choices for home schooling or portable tuition to the school of their choice.

The CHOOSE Act, signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey on March 7, 2024, makes refundable income tax credits called education savings accounts (ESAs), available to support the success of every K-12 student in Alabama. The law requires the Alabama Department of Revenue to establish a framework and funding for ESAs, which may be used by eligible families to cover tuition, fees, and other qualified education expenses at approved education service providers (ESPs) in Alabama.

The Act provides $7,000 per participating student who is enrolled in a participating school or $2,000 per participating student who is participating in a home education program (this includes an individual or group program, homeschool, co-op, etc.) and is capped at $4,000 per family. The program has long be sought for parents who wish their children to attend private or home-schooled programs.

The program is administered by the Alabama Department of Revenue and has already received over 10,000 applications since January. The online application portal is open until April 7, 2025.

Some users have chosen to use the online source, Class Wallet, to find out if the qualify for the programs offered in the State of Alabama.

The program has a new website for enrollment and further information: The CHOOSE Act