Student Funding

Use of Funds 

 For public and private school students using a voucher to attend a public school, qualifying expenses include a student’s instructional needs such as technological equipment, instructional materials, educational materials, uniforms, and professional services for remedial and/or specialized instruction. For public school students (including both special needs students and non-special needs students) using a voucher to attend a private school, qualifying expenses include tuition and monthly fees. The receiving school may use any remaining surplus to cover the cost of other instructional needs. For talented students taking college courses creditable to both high school and college programs, qualifying expenses include the cost to cover a course each semester, with the voucher being divided equally each semester. The receiving school may use any remaining surplus to cover the cost of other instructional needs. 

Funding Amount and Source 

The program is funded through the Puerto Rico Department of Education’s general expenses budget. The maximum amount for private school vouchers is set at 80% of Puerto Rico’s baseline per-pupil funding amount appropriated by the legislature. Puerto Rico Department of Education can set specific funding amounts depending on a student’s status. No more than 2% of the program’s funding may be used for administrative purposes. Any qualifying Puerto Rico K–12 student that wishes to participate may receive funding. 

(Last updated July 31, 2024)  

Student Eligibility

Students in grades 2–12 who have been enrolled in a public district or charter school for at least two years and are enrolled in a public or private school the semester immediately before applying are eligible for vouchers. The Department of Education prioritizes vouchers for students from low-income families (defined as qualifying for the Federal Free and Reduced-Price Lunch program, or earning $57,720 for a family of four in 2024–2025), students with severe disabilities, gifted students, students who have been adopted or are in shelters or foster homes, victims of bullying or sexual harassment, and any other, using the student’s grade point average in ascending order giving priority to students with poor academic performance. When determining students to accept, the Department of Education uses a lottery weighted by these priorities. The placement of public school special needs students using a voucher to attend a private school will be through Equal Participation Services. Talented students taking college courses creditable to both high school and college programs must present a letter signed by the teacher or school director certifying the student’s talent. The program’s total enrollment was capped at 3% of Puerto Rico’s total student population in 2022–2023, which is about 7,800 students. The Secretary of Education has the discretion to lower the rate prior to a given school year, though, taking into consideration the availability of funds. 

(Last updated July 31, 2024) 

EdChoice Expert Feedback

Puerto Rico’s Free School Selection voucher program helps hundreds of students access schools that are the right fit for them, but policymakers could do more to expand educational opportunity. Eligibility for the scholarships is limited to students in grades 2-12 who have attended a public school for at least two years. More than six in 10 Puerto Rico students are eligible for a scholarship. However, the total number of scholarships available is capped at three percent of the island’s total K-12 student population. The average scholarship size is about $2,300, which is only about 37 percent of the average expenditure per student at Puerto Rico’s public schools. To expand access to educational choice, Puerto Rico policymakers should dramatically increase the available vouchers and expand eligibility to all students (prioritizing scholarships based on need). They should also eliminate the requirement that students first attend a district or charter school to be eligible, or at least reduce the two-year minimum to one year. Students should not have to spend longer than necessary in an environment that does not meet their needs before gaining access to a voucher to attend a school that is a better fit. The program could also be converted into an education savings account to ensure that all students have access to the education that’s the right fit for them, whether private school or a customized course of education. (Last updated December 18, 2023)

Rules and Regulations

Program Guidelines

• Income Limit: None
• Prior Year Public School Requirement: Conditional
• Enrollment Cap: 3% of Student Population
• Voucher Cap: 80% of per–pupil funding
• Testing Mandates: None
• Budget Cap: None
• Special Needs Pathway: Priority

Participant and Family Guidelines

• Click Here for the Program Administrator’s Parent Handbook
• Education Requirements: Required check-ins with school
• Parent Supplemented Funds/Scholarships: Allowed
• Miscellaneous: N/A

Education Provider Guidelines

• Accreditation/Approval: Be accredited by an approved accreditor (international, national, territory, or regional)
• Employment Standards: Maintain a committee with a social worker to combat bullying and sexual harassment
• Calendar/Curriculum/Attendance: Submit invoices each semester that include a copy of the academic progress and attendance reports of each student participating in the program
• Financial: CPA Audit
• Nondiscrimination: Comply with territory and federal non-discrimination laws
• Miscellaneous:
  • Offer participating students the standardized tests that are ordinarily administered to other students at the institution, provided that the tests are administered by an external entity
  • Schools and others committing fraud with vouchers are subject to fines and sentencing
  • Comply with health and safety codes

(Last updated October 10, 2024)

Governing Statutes

3 LPRA § 9814 and El Reglamento 9290 

(Last updated July 31, 2024) 

Legal History