CHICAGO (AP) — More than 24,000 families across Illinois were unable to submit applications to the state’s new private school scholarship program because the online registration system shut down due to “extreme demand.”

Empower Illinois is one of the organizations overseeing the Tax Credit Scholarship program, which is made available through the Invest in Kids Act. The act was approved in 2017 and aims to assist families with certain incomes by offering scholarships that cover 50 percent to 100 percent of the average cost to educate a student.

The program is funded through private donations. Donors expect to receive tax credits, an incentive from Illinois that encourages participation.

Empower Illinois said Wednesday that it didn’t have an estimate for when applications could be accepted online again.