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 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 (only available to ESA+ students)

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.

  • Parents should email their home school ID number to ESA@ncseaa.edu.*

  • A student enrolled in a home school cannot benefit from Opportunity Scholarship funds. A student can only use an Opportunity Scholarship at a Direct Payment School.

*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 ESA@ncseaa.edu.

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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  

    Schools that receive tuition funds directly from SEAA. Once funds have been applied to tuition and fees, you can use the remaining funds for allowable expenses. Those remaining funds are placed in an electronic account after funds for tuition are sent to the school at the beginning of each semester.

  • Reimbursement Schools  

    Some schools do not accept money directly from SEAA. You are responsible for paying the tuition to these schools and using ESA+ funds to reimburse yourself for that payment. The full amount of scholarship funds will be placed in an electronic account. Families whose students attend Reimbursement Schools may use the funds for tuition reimbursement and for allowable expenses.

  • Home Schools

    If you exclusively home school your student, the full amount of scholarship funds will be placed in an electronic account. Home school families may use the full scholarship amount for allowable expenses.

ESA+ Allowable Expenses

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