Parents and children who receive the Invest in Kids Scholarship wearing blue shirts wait outside the Illinois House of Representatives to meet with lawmakers on Thursday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]   

Thousands of Illinois private school students could lose their scholarships if lawmakers don’t act to renew a controversial program that provides scholarships to help families afford private education.   

The Invest in Kids Scholarship Tax Credit program passed by state lawmakers in 2017 is set to expire at the end of the year and advocates in favor of the program have descended on the state capitol for months asking lawmakers to renew their support for the program that opponents call a voucher program.