An appeal is pending. Funding for public schools is not directly affected, but some school districts are benefiting from increased demands for their summer and after-school programs. It is expected that more than 100,000 families claimed the tax deduction in 1998. Since this ruling applies to the Minnesota program, no legal challenges are expected. Public school funding is not affected by this program, except in the benefits individual schools receive from taxpayer contributions.
Families receive scholarships based on eligibility rules of individual STOs.
Some offer assistance based on financial need, while others benefit a specific geographic area or non-governmental school system. Over 500 students received tuition assistance during the 1998-1999 school year. This number is expected to rise dramatically in future years, as legal challenges have been settled in favor of the program. Eighteen student tuition organizations now receive and disperse donations for children's education. The Arizona Supreme Court ruled in favor of the program in January 1999.