Last verified: October 2026
Which Triangle students qualify for ESA+?
A Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill or Clayton student qualifies when a North Carolina public school has issued a special education eligibility determination within the last three years and the student is entering kindergarten through grade 12. An IEP alone is not the document NCSEAA asks for; the eligibility determination is.
If your child has never been evaluated, the request goes to your public school district, such as WCPSS, Durham Public Schools, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Orange County Schools or Johnston County Public Schools.
How much is an ESA+ account worth for 2026-27?
The base account is $9,000 a year. The account is $17,000 when the eligibility determination names, as a primary or secondary area, visual impairment, orthopedic impairment, autism, a moderate or severe intellectual disability, or hearing impairment (deafness and deaf-blindness included).
Higher-award families may carry up to $4,500 into the next year, and a balance can never pass $30,000. Base-award money left at year end goes back to NCSEAA.
What is the ESA+ $500 core-subject rule?
To renew, an ESA+ account must show $500 or more of yearly spending on tuition or on core-subject materials, tutoring, textbooks or tests, meaning math, science, English language arts and social studies. Spending on therapy, devices, rides, foreign language, art or music is allowed but does not count.
Can a Triangle home-school family use ESA+?
Yes. Home-school families spend the whole account on allowable items, while families at a Direct Payment School pay tuition first. Parents of full-time private or home school students sign an LEA release, which pauses the district's special education services for as long as the account receives money.
ESA+ (Education Student Accounts): what it is, and what it is not
| ESA+ can pay for | ESA+ will not pay for |
|---|---|
| Licensed therapists who are enrolled with SEAA | Chiropractic care or services delivered out of state |
| One computer, one general-purpose tablet and one interactive whiteboard every three years | Phones, TVs, internet service, repairs or used devices |
| Live core-subject tutoring, plus art and music lessons new for 2026-27 | Martial arts, gymnastics, cheer, or art supplies |
| Tuition at a listed school | Next year's enrollment fee, late fees or card surcharges |