North Carolina’s Education Savings Account
At Miacademy, we’ve been hard at work partnering with various state funding agencies across the country. Our goal is to make a quality education accessible for every student, and we’re accomplishing our goal one state at a time.
If you’re homeschooling in North Carolina, we have some exciting news to share with you!
Eligible families in North Carolina can access Miacademy’s accredited online homeschool curriculum with funding provided by the North Carolina Education Student Account.
What is the Education Savings Account in North Carolina?
North Carolina’s education savings plan is designed for parents to reallocate their children’s public school education funding toward alternative schooling options. The ESA+ is for children who are ages 5+ entering with a documented IEP from a North Carolina public school. The funds are meant to pay for tuition and fees for private school, cover expenses of homeschooling, pay for tutoring and speech therapy services, and fund educational technology.
The North Carolina ESA+ Award is $9,000 annually, with additional funding up to $17,000 for students with certain disabilities. Applications for the 2024-25 school year will open on February 1, 2024. Students who received the award the previous year will be prioritized before new applicants.
Who qualifies for state funding in North Carolina?
For the North Carolina ESA+, students must meet the following requirements:
- Must have a disability that requires special education, as documented by a North Carolina IEP Eligibility Determination
- Be a resident of North Carolina
- Has not graduated high school
- Is at least 5 years old by August 31 or 4 years old by April 16 and approved for kindergarten
- Has not enrolled in a post-secondary institution full time
Students who meet the above criteria and have one of the following listed as their primary or secondary disability on their IEP may be eligible for additional funding:
- Autism
- Hearing impairment
- Moderate to severe intellectual disability
- Orthopedic impairment
- Visual impairment
How Do I Use My ESA+ for Miacademy?
At this time, only recipients of the ESA+ may use their funding for homeschool expenses. Recipients of the Opportunity Scholarship are restricted to using their scholarship for an eligible private school only.
To use your ESA+ funding for an online homeschool curriculum, first check the ESA qualifications to ensure your student is eligible to apply. Then, you’ll need to make a MyPortal account with the NCSEAA. Once you’ve created an account, the application will be available for you to complete within the portal. If you get stuck, you can find a video tutorial for this process on the NCSEAA website.
For first-time applicants, you will need to provide an IEP Eligibility Determination from a North Carolina public school. The form must be completed within the past three years, and it is the only document recognized by the NCSEAA for ESA+ purposes. You can visit the NCSEAA’s website for their full resource on disability documentation.
Want to know more about state funding for homeschool in North Carolina? Check out the official NCSEAA website for more news, updates, and important information regarding the ESA+ and Opportunity Scholarship.
If you have any questions about how Miacademy or MiaPrep can help you on your North Carolina homeschool journey, feel free to chat with one of our helpful customer service agents! They’ll be happy to help you find the answers you need.
FAQ
Does North Carolina pay for homeschooling?
No, the state of North Carolina does not pay for homeschooling. However, if your student has a documented disability, they may qualify for the North Carolina ESA+, which can help cover the cost of homeschool.
Information accurate as of: 12/28/2023. The information provided on this site is intended for research purposes only. Miaplaza is not responsible for any errors, omissions, or outdated information, or for the results yielded through use of this information.