IOWA SCHOOL
CHOICE PROGRAMS
DISCOVER OPTIONS
-
Educational Savings Accounts
Active School Choice Program
The “Student First Act,” an ESA (Educational Savings Account) enables every K-12 Iowa student to take their per-pupil public funding to a different school that fits them best. Funding covers tuition, fees, and other qualified education expenses.
-
Tax Credit Scholarship
Active School Choice Program
School Tuition Organizations (STO) are charitable Iowa-based Section 501(c)(3) organizations that raise tuition grant funding for eligible Iowa students who enroll in accredited nonpublic, Iowa-based, elementary or secondary schools based on parent choice.
-
Charter School Law
Active School Choice Program
A charter school may be established by either a district school board’s founding group or an independent founding group. Iowa’s law does not cap public charter school growth, includes a statewide authorizer, and provides sufficient autonomy and accountability.
Additional school choice programs are available for home schooling and open enrollment. Details on these programs can be found at educateiowa.gov.
The “Student First Act” ESA establishes savings accounts where per pupil public funds will be directed to help families pay for private school expenses. The law allows low and middle-income students to leave their public school district and take their state funding with them ($5,359 per child) to use towards a private school.
Student Eligibility:
YEAR 1: School Year 2023-24
All entering kindergarten students
All students enrolled in a public school
A student enrolled in a private school with a household income at or below 300% of the 2023 Federal Poverty Guidelines, $90,000 for a family of four
YEAR 2: School Year 2024-25
All entering kindergarten students
All students enrolled in a public school
A student enrolled in a private school with a household income at or below 400% of the 2024 Federal Poverty Guidelines
YEAR 3: School Year 2025-26
All K-12 students in Iowa regardless of income
How to Apply:
The application process is in development now and details, including the application start date, will be provided soon. Applications will be due on June 30, 2023, for the 2023-2024 school year. Applications are valid for one year; a family must apply annually to remain eligible for the program.
Sign up below to receive an alert when applications open for submission.
Educational Savings Account
1/24/23
ENACTED
School Tuition Organizations (STO) are charitable Iowa-based Section 501(c)(3) organizations that raise tuition grant funding for eligible Iowa students who enroll in accredited nonpublic, Iowa-based, elementary or secondary schools based on parent choice. Iowa taxpayers who donate to STOs are eligible for a tax credit equal to 75 percent of the total contribution. The STO must represent more than one school and 90 percent of its annual revenue must be used to provide tuition grants to eligible Iowa students to cover all or part of related tuition costs.
The total amount of authorized STO tax credit for the tax year beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2022 is $20,000,000.
Student Eligibility:
To be eligible for a tuition grant, a student’s family income must be no more than 400 percent of the federal poverty guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa Code 422.11S).
Tax Credit Scholarship
1/1/22
ENACTED
$20M
AUTHORIZED
Governor Reynolds signed two bills into law that affect the establishment and operations of new charter schools in Iowa. House File (HF) 813 establishes, and HF 847 amends, procedures for new charter schools effective July 1, 2021, under Iowa Code 256E. A charter school may be established by either a district school board’s founding group (i.e., School Board-State Board Model) or an independent founding group (i.e., Founding Group-State Board Model). Iowa Administrative Code 281-19 gives further guidance and direction for the establishment, general operating powers and duties, funding, performance, and oversight of charter schools.
Existing charter schools (those established prior to July 1, 2021) are not subject to the new laws but will continue to operate under the former regulations for charter schools. While chapter 256F remains in effect for charter schools established prior to July 2021, no additional charter schools may be established under 256F.
Charter School Law
2002
442
ENROLLED
ENACTED
FIND SCHOOL CHOICE NEAR YOU!
Lookup schools near you that qualify for school choice programs. Visit partner website School Choice Week’s “Search for Schools Near Me” map.