North Carolina to offer debit cards for disabled students' tuition

Taxpayer money will be loaded onto debit cards for families to pay disabled children’s private-school tuition and other education expenses under a new state plan.

Supporters say these education savings accounts, which give parents $9,000 a year, open more options to disabled children. Critics say the system is ripe for fraud and provides no assurances that students will receive a good education.

Five other states have laws allowing education savings accounts, according to EdChoice, a pro-school-choice group. In one of them, Nevada, its legislature put no money into the savings accounts this year.

The provision allowing for the education accounts in North Carolina is included in the state budget the legislature is expected to approve this week.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article157249834.html