The General Assembly has given final approval to Republican-backed bills providing tax credits for contributions to scholarships for low-income children attending private, nonprofit schools.

Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling cast the tie-breaking vote Wednesday in the evenly divided, 40-member Senate. Voting largely along party lines, the House passed the legislation 57-40.

The bill would allow individuals and corporations to write off 65 cents for each dollar donated. It would cap state funding for the program at $25 million a year.

Scholarships would be limited to children from families with income no greater than 300 percent of poverty level.

Republicans say the credits would help children and improve school competition. Democrats argue the credits would siphon money from the state treasury that otherwise would go to public schools.