Florida insurance companies have contributed a record amount of money this year–$61.2 million–to a school choice scholarship program designed to help low-income families across the state to send their children to schools best suited to meet their needs.

The contributions by the insurers will help fund 9,380 scholarships this year.

“We are grateful for the invaluable support of the Florida insurance industry, especially major contributors like Tower Hill Insurance Group and UnitedHealthcare,” said Doug Tuthill, president of Step Up For Students, which administers the state’s Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program (FTC) for low-income families.

Together, Tower Hill and UnitedHealthcare contributed  $12.3 million this year alone to the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program. Since 2009, the two insurers have combined to donate more than $86 million.

“These generous organizations are true leaders for supporting innovative education initiatives in Florida, and we hope other companies and industries follow in their footsteps by providing students with a better opportunity to succeed,” Tuthill added.

The insurance industry is on pace to double its contributions to the program this year.

Don Matz, the president of Tower Hill Insurance Group, says “these scholarships provide students with a choice so they can find an approach to learning that works best for them. We’re proud to support this program and Florida’s families.”

“Our commitment is to quality care for our members. At Step Up For Students, that same level of commitment produces quality care for kids,” said UnitedHealthcare CEO Nicholas Zaffiris That’s why we’re so proud to support this wonderful program, which helps children right now to give them a better chance in the future

Step Up For Kids recently enrolled the program’s 100,000th student.

The FTC scholarship program is targeted at helping children whose educational options are limited by household income. Step Up For Kids says the latest state-commissioned research shows that students who receive the FTC scholarships are among the lowest-performing in the public schools they leave behind. The organization says the scholarships offered by the program give parents a choice they wouldn’t otherwise have in meeting the educational needs of their children.