Hawkeye Reporter

DES MOINES – Governor Reynolds has announced a schedule of informational webinars to assist parents and guardians who plan to apply for the state’s new Students First Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). The live webinars will be hosted by Odyssey, the program administrator selected by the state. Webinars begin Tuesday, May 23, and a total of six sessions will be offered through June 7. The complete schedule and registration links for each session are posted on the Department of Education’s ESA webpage. A recording of the webinar will also be available for parents and guardians who cannot attend a live session.

The ESA application period for the 2023-2024 school year will open on Wednesday, May 31, at 8 a.m.  A link to the online application will be provided on the Department of Education’s ESA webpage. Applications will be accepted through Friday, June 30, 2023.

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 upcoming school year.  

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 who choose to attend an accredited nonpublic school will be eligible for an ESA regardless of income.

Answers to frequently asked questions about the ESA application process, eligibility, and more are posted on the Department of Education’s ESA webpage.

Original source can be found here.