How to Choose a School: ESA+
ESA+ students may choose from three different types of schools: a Direct Payment School, an ESA+ Reimbursement School, or a Home School.
How to Choose a School: ESA+
ESA+ students may choose from three different types of schools: a Direct Payment School, an ESA+ Reimbursement School, or a Home School.
Direct Payment Schools
Direct Payment Schools are schools that receive a direct payment on behalf of Opportunity Scholarship or ESA+ recipients. To learn which schools accept direct payment, visit the list of Direct Payment Nonpublic Schools.
ESA+ Reimbursement Schools
ESA+ Reimbursement Schools are schools that choose not to receive funds directly from the K12 Programs. Families who enroll their students in these schools pay tuition and fees out of pocket and are reimbursed by ESA+
- Your nonpublic school of choice must be registered with the North Carolina Division of Nonpublic Schools (DNPE) to use this option. To find out whether your school is registered with DNPE, visit or consult the school.
- ESA+ funds may be used to cover the costs required for a student to enroll in a public school other than the public school where the student is assigned to attend. Enrolling in an out-of-district school is contingent on the policies of the local public school district.
Home Schools
Parents of students in a home school spend their ESA+ funds for Allowable Expenses other than tuition.
- Parents must register a home school for children ages 7-16 with The North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education.
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Parents should email their home school ID number to [email protected].*
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A student who receives both the Opportunity Scholarship and the ESA+ (or an Opportunity Scholarship student co-enrolled in a home school) may only use Opportunity Scholarship funds for a Direct Payment School. Opportunity Scholarship funds cannot be used to pay for home school expenses.
*Home schools that do not have a home school ID because they serve children younger than 7 or older than 16 should email SEAA at [email protected].
Using Funds for Allowable Expenses
Families use ESA+ scholarship funds to pay for private school tuition and fees, and also for allowable expenses related to educating a child with a disability.
The amount of funding available for allowable expenses depends on the type of school you choose:
- Direct Payment Schools - Once funds have been applied to tuition and fees, remaining funds can be used for allowable expenses.
- Reimbursement Schools - Funds can be used for tuition reimbursement and allowable expenses.
- Home Schools - Home school families can use the full scholarship amount for allowable expenses.
