Continuing Eligibility
Families must provide a re-evaluation of their student’s disability every three years to remain eligible to receive the ESA+ scholarship.
Continuing Eligibility
Families must provide a re-evaluation of their student’s disability every three years to remain eligible to receive the ESA+ scholarship.
Here’s how it works
The three-year cycle begins with the date of the most recent IEP Eligibility Determination or previous Continuing Eligibility date on file with SEAA. You will receive email reminders in MyPortal when it is time to complete the re-evaluation.
How to determine if your student’s re-evaluation date is approaching
- Find your student’s current IEP Eligibility Determination Form (for a description of the form see Documentation of a Disability). Use the date of your Continuing Eligibility form if that is more recent.
- On the last page of the form there should be a list of people who attended the meeting and the date.
- Find the date of the meeting in the “Date” column and add three to the year.
Year of Evaluation Date on File |
Begin Reevaluation Process |
Updated Documentation Due |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | August 2025 | 1/1/2026 |
| 2023 | August 2026 | 1/1/2027 |
Re-Evaluation Options for Renewing Students
If the primary or secondary disability listed on the student’s Eligibility Determination has not changed, renewing families may submit one of the following to SEAA:
- Public School Eligibility Determination: The local public school system assesses the student to determine if the student continues to be a child with a disability. The document to submit to ESA+ is the Eligibility Determination issued by the IEP team.
OR - Psychologist Assessment*: A North Carolina Licensed Psychologist with a school psychology focus or a North Carolina Licensed Psychiatrist assesses the student to evaluate if the student has improved his or her educational performance and would continue to benefit from the Eligible School or Home School. The document to submit to ESA+ is the Continuing Eligibility Form.
- The cost of a psychiatrist or psychologist is an acceptable use of ESA+ funds if the provider is enrolled with SEAA and completes the Continuing Eligibility Form while providing a therapeutic service.
*Exceptions to Psychologist Assessment:
- The Psychologist Assessment cannot be used to document a change in the area of disability.
- The Psychologist Assessment cannot be used if the student’s only disability designated on the IEP Eligibility Determination is Developmental Delay.
I need help with Continuing Eligibility
Our Scholarship Specialists provide an overview of the process and timeline for updating your student’s evaluation date.
Resources
Eligibility Determination FAQs
Contact your local public school and request a re-evaluation. A full IEP is not required for this process; only the Eligibility Determination document.
Please contact the ESA+ scholarship team at ESA@ncseaa.edu or North Carolina’s Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center (information follows below).
If you have questions about initiating the special education process, timelines, evaluations, reevaluations, and/or eligibility, please contact the Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center (ECAC) at 800-962-6817 or ecac@ecacmail.org. ECAC provides NC families with tools, resources and information to help them make informed decisions and become their child’s best and most effective advocate. ALL of ECAC’s services to families are provided at no cost.
Please note that ECAC is a wholly separate entity from the State Education Assistance Authority (the “Authority”). ECAC is not affiliated with the Authority and the Authority is not responsible for any representations or information provided to the public by ECAC.