Executive Order 13969 · 2021-01-04

Expanding Educational Opportunity Through School Choice

Emergency Learning Scholarships Authorized for Children Without In-Person Schooling

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Signed by Donald Trump
Published 2021-01-04

What it does

The federal department that runs health and social services must allow community aid funds to provide emergency learning scholarships to disadvantaged families.

Real-world impact

  • Allows scholarships to cover private school tuition, homeschooling, or learning-pod costs.
  • Permits payment for special education services and therapies for children with disabilities.
  • Directly targets disadvantaged families and children without access to in-person learning.

Topics

education accessschool choicechild welfarespecial educationemergency relief

Summary

This order lets federal community aid funds be used to give emergency learning scholarships to disadvantaged families whose children lack access to in-person schooling. Scholarships can pay for private or parochial school tuition, homeschooling or learning-pod costs, special education and therapies, and tutoring.

The change affects families and children who have been kept out of classrooms, including students with special needs and low-income households. It aims to reduce learning loss, support child well-being, and expand schooling options during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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