The Property Value Effects of Universal Tuition Vouchers

Abstract

Every school-age child in San Antonio's Edgewood school district was eligible for a large, privately-funded tuition voucher from 1998 to 2008. This paper evaluates the impact of this voucher program on residential property values in the Edgewood district. Based on realtor data (multiple listing service), the findings reveal that during the period of the voucher program there was a 9.87% increase in house prices during the early years of the program, although an increase of only 1.10% during the later years when eligibility requirements were tightened.