The Nevada Independent

Your state. Your news. Your voice.

The Nevada Independent

FACT BRIEF

Does Nevada’s “Opportunity Scholarship” program mostly benefit wealthy families?

By Rocio Hernandez on 09/04/2024

NO

The Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program, also known as Opportunity Scholarships, offers needs-based scholarships to private schools for students who live in households with annual incomes at or less than 300% of the federal poverty line, which is $93,600 for a family of four.

According to a 2023 Nevada Department of Education report, the average household income of a scholarship recipient was between $55,000 and $59,000. That’s less than Nevada’s median household income of about $72,000.

In response to a recent question about Opportunity Scholarships, Assemblywoman Selena La Rue Hatch (D-Reno) said the majority of people “taking advantage” of the program are “wealthy individuals.”

La Rue Hatch said in an email that she was speaking about other voucher programs nationwide and referenced Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo’s previous attempt to raise the income cap for Nevada’s program to 500% of the federal poverty line.

This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

The Nevada Independent is a proud participant in The Gigafact Project — an initiative to safeguard democracy and spread accurate information.

Have you seen a claim online that you want fact-checked? Send us a link here.

SHARE
Notice something wrong? Drop us a message at [email protected].
7455 Arroyo Crossing Pkwy Suite 220 Las Vegas, NV 89113
© 2024 THE NEVADA INDEPENDENT
Privacy PolicyRSSContactNewslettersSupport our Work
The Nevada Independent is a project of: Nevada News Bureau, Inc. | Federal Tax ID 27-3192716