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Nearly 57,000 students applied for Arkansas’ universal school voucher program, where any student in the state is eligible and can use that state funding towards private school. 

However, there’s a gap between how much students are receiving and what private schools are charging. A study by the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice showed private school tuition increased in states with universal voucher programs. 

A report from the Arkansas Advocate found that the state followed that trend, where the average private school tuition among applicants is about $2,600 more than state funding. Some critics are concerned this could leave children behind in a state with one of the nation’s highest poverty rates, while the vouchers pull funds away from public schools.