Edited release
05/05/23
Governor Reynolds has announced that applications for Students First Educations Savings Accounts will be accepted starting May 31st.
The Students First Act was signed into law earlier this year and will provide state funding for eligible students who attend accredited nonpublic schools starting in the 2023-2024 school year.
Additionally, the State Board of Education today adopted administrative rules that specify definitions for the program, eligibility requirements for participation, parameters for the application process, and program administration and accountability.
All incoming kindergarteners and all K-12 students currently enrolled in a public school district are eligible for the ESA program. Families whose children currently attend an accredited nonpublic school are also eligible for ESAs based on their annual income during the first two years of the program. For the 2023-2024 school year, income eligibility is 300 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL); and 400 percent FPL for the 2024-2025 school year. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, all K-12 students in Iowa will be eligible for an ESA regardless of income.
The administrative rules and eligibility requirements are posted in their entirety on the Iowa Department of Education’s ESA webpage, www.educateiowa.gov , along with answers to frequently asked questions about the program.
Parents will complete and submit applications online. Odyssey was selected as the vendor to administer the ESA program.
Applications will be accepted from May 31 through June 30th for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year.
