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Over 200 Chambers County students have already applied for Alabama’s CHOOSE Act for the 2025-26 school year, which, if granted, would award them $7,000 toward approved Education Service Providers.

The CHOOSE Act (Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education) of 2024 makes refundable tax credits called education savings accounts (ESA). The CHOOSE Act is run by the Alabama Department of Revenue (ALDOR).

The ESAs can be used to pay for tuition, fees, and other qualified education expenses for eligible K-12 students in Alabama. However, they can only be used at approved ESPs in the state. 

Chambers County’s two private K-12 schools, Chambers Academy and Springwood School, are both approved ESPs.  Already at Springwood School, 73 students – most of whom are currently Springwood students — have applied for the CHOOSE Act grant. About 150 Chambers Academy students have applied as well.

Springwood School’s business manager, Vicki Andrews, said the program is a great opportunity, not just for students but for the school as well. With Springwood making sustainable growth each year, she said they are confident that they can manage an increase in the student body.

“We currently have 255 students on campus, and you know, we have room to add more,” Andrews said. “So we’re definitely welcoming and encouraging people that are interested in Springwood for the first time, or our current Alabama student families to register and apply and hopefully get the award.”

Chambers Academy has had lots of applicants, but Headmaster Jon Owens said all of them are current students. The private school in LaFayette has a small campus and he said that with any program like this, there are positives and negatives. 

However, Owens said Chambers Academy will not change its application process for student enrollment, which requires an academic and behavioral transcript as well as an interview with Owens. 

The deadline for students to apply for the program is April 7. To qualify for the program, students must be Alabama residents and meet household income requirements. The 2024 household income cannot exceed 300% of the federal poverty level, meaning that for a three-person household, the income can not exceed $77,460. 

Students will not hear back about their acceptance until later this summer in May. Those who are granted the ESA will receive $7,000 per participating student in a participating school.

“That definitely helps our school and helps our people,” Owens said.

The annual 2025-26 tuition for a senior at Springwood School is $10,200. As for Chambers Academy, the annual tuition for students is a little over $6,000. 

The first 500 ESAs this year will be awarded to students with special needs, then prioritizing students who are dependents of active-duty service members. Beyond that, students will be chosen based on their family’s adjusted gross income. 

​​“Alabama families can start the new year with a great opportunity for school choice in their communities,” said Governor Ivey, in a prepared statement in March 2024. “The CHOOSE Act will help our Alabama students receive the highest-quality education possible by giving greater flexibility to families to pursue educational options that meet their individual needs. It is a wonderful opportunity to make the future of Alabama stronger than ever.”