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On Thursday, Jan. 2, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced that applications for the CHOOSE Act were officially open for Alabama families.

The CHOOSE Act was passed and signed into law last March. It implements the state’s new Education Savings Account (ESA) and provides eligible K-12 students in the state to help pay for school tuition, tutoring, educational therapies and other qualified education expenses at approved education service providers across the state. Funding for eligible students includes $7,000 per eligible student enrolled in a participating school, $2,000 per participating student enrolled in a home education program, which includes an individual or group program, homeschool and co-op and is capped at $4,000 per family.

“Alabama families can start the new year with a great opportunity for school choice in their communities,” said Ivey. “The CHOOSE Act will help our Alabama students receive the highest-quality education possible by giving greater flexibility to families to pursue educational options that meet their individual needs. It is a wonderful opportunity to make the future of Alabama stronger than ever.”

In the first year of the program, the first 500 ESAs will be awarded to participating students with special needs, with a second priority awarded to participating students who are dependents of active-duty service members enrolled in or assigned to a priority school. Priority schools are schools that have received a score of a D or F on the state report card. There is a total of 148 priority schools in Alabama.

The remaining ESAs will be awarded for participating students based on the family’s adjusted gross income, not exceeding 300 percent the federal poverty level for the preceding tax year. Once approved, students can begin using their ESA funds for approved expenses in July 2025.

Alabama families can apply for an ESA on the programs website. Additional information is also available on the site.