by Kendall Deas, University of South Carolina

School voucher programs that allow families to use public funds to pay tuition to attend private schools have become increasingly popular.

Thirteen states and the District of Columbia currently operate voucher programs.

In addition, 15 states have universal private school choice programs that offer vouchers, education savings accounts and tax credit scholarships.

More states are considering school choice and voucher programs as the Trump administration advocates for widespread adoption.

School vouchers have a long history in the U.S.

The first vouchers were offered in the 1800s to help children in sparsely populated towns in rural Vermont and Maine attend classes in public and private schools in nearby districts.

After the U.S. Supreme C

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