Application Period for ESA Accounts Through Iowa’s Students First Act Opens May 31st

DES MOINES, IA – Applications for Iowa 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 2023-24 school year.

All incoming kindergarteners and all K through 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 2023-24 school year, income eligibility is 300 percent of the federal poverty level; and 400 percent for the 2024-25 school year. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, all K through 12 students in Iowa will be eligible for an ESA regardless of income.

Administrative rules are posted on the Iowa Department of Education’s ESA webpage, along with answers to frequently asked questions about the program. Applications will be accepted from May 31st through June 30th for the 2023-24 school year.