More than 7,000 students in Greater Cincinnati are eligible for tuition vouchers to attend private schools next school year, but just 135 have applied.

A June 9 deadline for applications is approaching, and parents such as Clifton resident Dianna Brewer are finishing their research on private schools and getting ready to apply for their children. Some parents have found the process to be easy, while others are ready to give up because they are having trouble navigating the system.

Voucher advocates say not enough parents know about the program, which awards scholarships of up to $5,000 a year so students in low-performing public schools can attend a private school.

"There is a lot of misinformation out there," said Lisa Claytor, program director for the Children's Scholarship Fund of Greater Cincinnati, an organization that privately funds school scholarships for people with low incomes. "Some families don't believe it's true."

She said she's not worried about the small number of applications, in part because some private schools plan to submit parents' voucher applications en masse to the state.

"I believe we will see a surge as this month evolves," she said.

The program, approved as part of the two-year budget, allows for funding of 14,000 tuition vouchers statewide. The first-year cost could be up to $70 million if all vouchers are awarded.

State officials say they expect more applicants, but they don't anticipate that all the vouchers will be used this year.

Of the 270 applications the state has received, 135 were from Hamilton County.

"Interest is consistent with other first-year programs of its type across the country," said J.C. Benton, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Education.

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