Approved students must attend an accredited Iowa nonpublic school and complete their fall tuition and fee payment through the ESA portal by Sept. 30.
By Hola Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa families with an approved Students First Education Savings Account have until Sept. 30 to complete two requirements for the 2026-27 school year. Each eligible student can receive $8,148 in education funding.
First, the student must attend an accredited nonpublic school in Iowa. A parent or guardian must also complete the fall tuition and fee payment through the ESA portal by Sept. 30.
If a family misses either requirement, the student will lose ESA eligibility for the 2026-27 school year. Iowa will finalize eligibility starting Oct. 1.
The deadline applies only to families that already received ESA approval. The application period for this school year closed June 30 and will not reopen.
The 2026-27 Iowa ESA provides $8,148 per eligible student
Each eligible student can receive $8,148 for the 2026-27 school year through Iowa’s Students First ESA program.
Families do not receive the money as cash. Instead, the program places the funds in an education savings account. Families use the ESA portal to pay tuition, required school fees and other eligible education expenses.
The program provides half of the annual funding for the fall semester. Then, beginning Dec. 1, eligible students receive access to the remaining half for spring.
Families must pay tuition and required school fees first. After those expenses, active participants can use any remaining balance for other eligible purchases available through the program marketplace.
Approved students must meet two requirements by Sept. 30
An approved application does not guarantee ESA eligibility for the entire school year.
By Sept. 30, the student must attend an accredited nonpublic school in Iowa. The student also must enroll full time and attend at least 75% of a full-time schedule.
In addition, a parent or guardian must confirm the fall tuition and fee payment through the ESA portal before the deadline.
Families also need to complete school enrollment separately. Choosing a school in the ESA portal does not enroll a student at that school.
Missing the Sept. 30 deadline ends ESA eligibility for 2026-27
Iowa will begin finalizing eligibility Oct. 1.
A student will lose eligibility for the 2026-27 school year if the student is not attending an accredited Iowa nonpublic school by Sept. 30. The same consequence applies if the family does not complete the fall tuition and fee payment through the portal.
However, the Sept. 30 deadline does not give families another chance to apply for an ESA. Iowa accepted applications for the 2026-27 school year from April 16 through June 30.
Families must submit a new application each year. That requirement also applies to students who participated in the program in previous years.
Related: Iowa is now paying for more than 27,000 students to attend private schools. Here’s why
Spring ESA funds become available Dec. 1
Students who remain eligible after the fall deadline can access the spring portion of their ESA funding beginning Dec. 1.
The next tuition and fee deadline is Feb. 1, 2027. By that date, parents or guardians must complete the spring payment through the ESA portal.
Meanwhile, unused ESA funds can remain in a student’s account for a future year if the student continues in the program. Families cannot transfer that money to another child’s ESA.
Families can review current requirements, deadlines and contact information through the Iowa Department of Education Students First ESA program.
For questions about an ESA application or the portal, families can call 515-368-9564. For general program questions, the contact number is 515-954-5652.
The fall enrollment and tuition payment deadline for approved 2026-27 ESA participants remains Sept. 30.
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