Gov. Katie Hobbs refused last week to expand the Teachers Academy program that provides scholarships to prospective public school teachers to students attending private and religious colleges.

That program, created in 2017, provides one year of college tuition for students at public community colleges and universities in education programs in exchange for each year of teaching in an Arizona public school.

Rep. Matt Gress, R-Phoenix, sought to expand that to all private colleges offering education degrees.

Hobbs said the big problem is money.

She noted there is $15 million put into the program each year, money that is quickly spoken for by students at public universities. And that has created a waiting list for education students at those schools.

Hobbs had proposed doubling that amount, but it was not included in the budget.

And absent more cash, Hobbs said, she could not support taking away funds from students in public universities.