The spending bill President Obama signed into law Wednesday will eliminate a program that provides school vouchers for low income students in Washington D.C. to attend private school.

The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program allows 1,700 students in the nation's capital to attend private schools by letting families claim up to $7,500 dollars per student towards the tuition.

A provision in the spending bill prohibits any more funding for the program after the next school year.

Democrats and teachers unions say vouchers take money from public education.

Republicans support vouchers because they say it gives parents a choice to send their kids to better schools.

The Obama administration has said it would like to find a compromise that allows students currently in the program to remain through high school.