An increasing number of students in Bladen, Columbus, Robeson, and Scotland counties received taxpayer-funded vouchers to attend private schools this school year, data shows.
More than 1,700 students in the Border Belt were recipients of the Opportunity Scholarship in 2025-2026, according to data from the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority. That’s up from nearly 1,300 the previous school year.
Students in the four-county region got almost $10.3 million in scholarship money–often called school vouchers– this year. The prior year, they got $6.9 million.
Here’s a breakdown by county:
Previously, Opportunity Scholarships were available to families who met specific income criteria. But Republican state lawmakers removed the income cap starting in the 2024-2025 school year, expanding the number of students who qualify.
More than 106,800 students across the state got vouchers this school year, up from 80,472 the prior year.
Advocates of school vouchers say they empower families to choose which schools best suit their children’s needs. Critics argue that they pull resources from public schools, since the state largely funds public districts based on the number of students enrolled.
About 11% of students statewide who received vouchers came from public schools, according to data released earlier this month by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
Statewide, 73% of voucher recipients are white, 11% are Black, 3% are Asian, and 9% are two or more races, according to the data.
The Columbus County Community Foundation awarded the Border Belt Independent a $5,000 grant to fund Data Point, a concise feature that focuses on numbers and statistics highlighting an issue or trend in the Border Belt. The Columbus County Community Foundation is a nonprofit that connects people with causes and organizations they care about. It is part of the North Carolina Community Foundation network.