Education Savings Accounts (ESAs)

ESA APPLICATION FOR 2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR NOW OPEN!

Applying for the First Time: Parents/guardians will first be directed to sign up with an email and password. Parents/guardians will receive a message from Odyssey asking them to confirm their email address. After the email is confirmed, the parent/guardian can sign in to the ESA portal to begin their application. 

Returning Applicants: Parents/guardians with an existing ESA portal account will log in to the existing account to begin the application for the 2025-26 school year.

The state has contracted with Odyssey for ESA program administration, including applications, financial transactions, compliance, fraud prevention, and customer service. Odyssey securely administers funds and provides families with direct customer service and support.  

Parents who choose to enroll their eligible children in an accredited nonpublic school in Iowa will receive an amount equal to the per pupil funding allocated to public school districts for the same budget school year. For the 2025-26 school year, the amount will be $7,826, plus any increase determined by the Iowa Legislature. Funds are held in an education savings account (ESA) to be used for tuition, fees, and other eligible qualified education expenses.

The Students First Act, introduced by Governor Reynolds and signed into law on January 24, 2023, makes state funding available to support the success of every K-12 student in Iowa. The bill establishes a framework and funding for education savings accounts, which may be used by eligible families to cover tuition, fees, and other qualified education expenses at accredited private schools in Iowa.