ESA+ Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to questions commonly asked about the ESA+ scholarship.
ESA+ Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to questions commonly asked about the ESA+ scholarship.
General Program FAQs
No. The ESA+ may only be used for students entering Kindergarten through 12th grade. Students must be at least 5 years old by August 31 or at least 4 years old by April 16 and approved for Kindergarten according to State guidelines
Yes. There are a variety of co-enrollment options, depending on the policies of your local public school district.
Yes, if your student lives in North Carolina on the day your school begins for the 2025-26 school year. Learn more about the documentation you will be asked to provide.
It depends on the cost of the school. Families are responsible for the difference if their tuition is higher than the award amount. If tuition is lower than the award amount, families may use the remaining funds for allowable expenses. For home school families, the entire scholarship amount is used for allowable expenses.
No. MyPortal allows for one parent of record on the account. If you wish to make a change, the parent of record must email the program to request that the information be changed. A task will be added to your record and steps must be completed before these changes can be made. Change of Parent Form
When parents are separated or divorced and share joint custody (50/50) of the student(s), either one can be the MyPortal account owner and apply.
That depends on whether the student is enrolled in private school or home school. Students enrolled in full-time home school may use the entire scholarship for allowable expenses. Students enrolled in private school must use scholarship funds for tuition first, and remaining funds can be used for allowable expenses. If the total amount of the scholarship is used for tuition, no funds will remain for allowable expenses.
Application FAQs
No. Applying for the ESA+ does not enroll your student in a school. You will need to follow the admissions process for the school you choose.
Yes. The document can be submitted two additional times. All resubmits must be completed within three weeks of the date you submitted the application. Need help identifying or submitting the correct document? Contact us to set up a one-on-one appointment.
You should not apply for ESA+ unless your child has an eligibility determination. For more information about initiating the special education process, please contact the Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center (ECAC) a free service for North Carolina families: 800-962-6817 or [email protected].
You must submit an eligibility determination, which is what public schools use to determine whether a student with a disability requires special education services. An IEP is not required to apply for the ESA+, only the eligibility determination document.
No. An eligibility determination issued in the last three years by a North Carolina public school is the only document accepted by the ESA+ program to verify a student’s disability.
Awarding FAQs
No. Scholarships are awarded per child, not per family.
No. Scholarships are awarded until funding is exhausted.
Your student must be enrolled and attending a school by October 1 to use the scholarship. Students have a variety of enrollment options, including co-enrollment in two schools.
No. All eligible applications submitted between Feb. 6th and Mar. 6th will be entered into a lottery.
We send scholarship funding to Direct Payment Schools twice per year; once for the fall semester in August/September and once for the spring semester in January/February. For information on the payment schedule for home schools and reimbursement schools, visit How Scholarship Funds Work.
The base award for ESA+ is $9,000. Students with certain designated disabilities may be eligible to receive $17,000 a year.
Eligibility Determination FAQs
An Eligibility Determination issued by a North Carolina public school, or a Department of Defense school located in North Carolina is the only document accepted by the ESA+ program to verify a student’s eligibility.
Yes. The document can be submitted two additional times. All resubmits must be completed within three weeks of the date you submitted the application. Need help identifying or submitting the correct document? Contact us to set up a one-on-one appointment.
You should not apply for ESA+ unless your child has an Eligibility Determination. For more information about initiating the special education process, please contact the Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center (ECAC) a free service for North Carolina families: 800-962-6817 or [email protected].
No. The Eligibility Determination must be issued by a North Carolina public school, or a Department of Defense school located in North Carolina.
We can only accept documents submitted electronically in MyPortal. Follow the tips provided in How to Upload Documents in MyPortal or ask the public school that issued the document to send you an electronic copy (note: we cannot accept password-protected documents).
