ATLANTA — Fewer Georgia public school students may receive state-funded vouchers for private school than originally expected after lawmakers reduced funding for the Georgia Promise Scholarship in the state budget.

Governor Brian Kemp had recommended $141 million for the scholarship program, but the House-passed budget slashed the funding to $45 million, enough to support around 7,000 students.

Despite the funding cut, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Blake Tillery emphasized the program’s importance. “Well, we know that the Promise Scholarship was important to the House, so it was obviously important to the governor and was certainly important to the Senate. So we are going to make sure that we fund that at the level that it needs to be funded for Georgia families,” Tillery said.

Since applications opened on March 1, around 7,000 families have already begun the process of qualifying for the $6,500 voucher.