(The Lion) — A new school choice scholarship program for low-income families is in the works in Virginia.

“I know we all agree that no student should be denied the opportunity to pursue the education that meets their needs the most,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin wrote on social media Wednesday. “That is why today, I am proposing a new $50 million Virginia Opportunity Scholarship program.”

Education freedom advocates applauded the proposal.

“Gov. Youngkin’s proposal is an important development for education freedom in Virginia,” said Marcus San Marino, vice president of government affairs at yes. every kid. “We commend the governor and legislative leaders for this proposal and look forward to working with them to empower every kid across the Commonwealth to find the educational experience best suited to their needs.”

Youngkin’s plan would provide roughly 10,000 low-income students with $5,000 scholarships to cover a variety of educational expenses.

The new program could be used in conjunction with Virginia’s only other school choice program – a tax-credit-funded scholarship currently utilized by almost 5,000 students.

Those scholarships are worth nearly $3,000 on average.

During his gubernatorial campaign in 2021, Youngkin cemented his image as a pro-parent governor when his opponent and former governor Terry McAuliffe said, “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.”

McAuliffe lost, and Youngkin continued to be a staunch advocate for parental rights and school transparency. Now, he wants to take it a step further by empowering parents to tailor their children’s education.

Over a dozen other states have implemented universal school choice in recent years, and several other Republican governors are looking to implement or expand programs in their states.

States to watch in 2025 include Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, and both North Dakota and South Dakota.