INDIANAPOLIS – More than 29,000 Indiana students have received school vouchers this school year, an increase of 47 percent.

The Indiana Department of Education released the Choice Scholarship Program Annual Report earlier this week which included some statistics that school choice proponents in the Hoosier state should be proud of.

When the program began in the 2011-2012 school year, Choice Scholarships were limited to 7,500 students. This number doubled the following school year, allowing 15,000 students to take part in the program. The cap was removed beginning with the 2013-2014 school year making the scholarships available to any student that met the eligibility and income requirements.

MORE NEWS: Know These Before Moving From Cyprus To The UK

Students are now eligible to receive nearly $116 million in voucher awards this school year, up from $81 million a year ago, according to WSBT.com.

Clearly a number of families have taken advantage of the cap removal, as the number of students receiving school vouchers for the 2014-2015 school year was 29,148. A nearly 50 percent increase.

Of the 29,148 students taking part in the Choice Scholarship program, 5,285 of them come from Allen County, according to News-Sentinel.com. This is a 936 percent increase from when the program first began during the 2011-2012 school year.

Most of the parents in Allen County are sending their students, and the more than $19,485,000 tax dollars that go with them, to one of the 36 religious schools in the county. They, along with numerous other families around the state, are now able to ensure their tax dollars are going toward the best available education for their child.

The school districts with the highest number of students receiving vouchers include Fort Wayne Community Schools (4,036), followed by Indianapolis Public Schools (3,018), and South Bend Community School Corp (2,224).

So what is next for one of the most expansive statewide school choice programs in the country?

MORE NEWS: How to prepare for face-to-face classes

“Gov. Mike Pence has proposed lifting the school voucher program’s limit on per-student funding, which is now capped at $4,800 per elementary school pupil,” according to the South Bend Tribune.