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Nearly 300 Children Join D.C. Voucher Program

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nearly 300 children have been awarded new private school tuition vouchers under a federal program that's been the source of tension between Congress and the White House.

More than 1,400 students are already receiving vouchers, and The Washington Post reports that 1,300 applied for open slots this year. Just over 500 were found eligible, and 299 were selected for vouchers through a lottery.

Many of the winners gathered Saturday to talk to private school representatives and finalize enrollment decisions.

The program has been in place since 2004, and the nation's capital is the only jurisdiction where federal tax dollars are used to subsidize private-school tuition. The Obama administration has attempted to phase it out, but House Majority Leader John Boehner and others in Congress have fought to keep it.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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