Education Savings Account

Applications for the Education Savings Account program will open twice annually, beginning on May 1 and November 1. Once the Office of Public Instruction has received contracts from ESA families, the OPI will inform school districts of the qualified students who are participating in the program by August 1 and January 1. 

OPI will provide guidance on how to reconcile accounts for any eligible students in the resident school district.  Parents may re-enroll their student in public school at any time, which would effectively terminate the student’s participation in the ESA.  For more information, schools may view the bill here.

IMPORTANT! Please review the guidance for enrolling ESA Students for ANB purposes - AIMS Guidance

The amount families receive in their savings account is determined by the ANB formula for students. This varies slightly from district to district. You may find the amount per student per district on this table titled: Education Savings Account: SY 2025-2026 Student Amounts.

For further information, please review our FAQ documents:

FAQ Document_April 2024

FAQ Document_January 2025

 

District Webinar:

August 22, 2024: Agenda | Recording 

January 14, 2025: Agenda | Presentation 

To qualify, students must be identified as having special needs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) definition of a "child with disabilities." 

A "Qualified student" means a resident of the state who meets the requirements of (a) (b), and (c):  (a)   In the current school year: is identified as a "child with a disability" under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. 1400, et seq.; and is between the ages of 5 and 19 on September 10.  (b) is not currently enrolled in a school operating for the purpose of providing educational services to youth in department of corrections commitment programs or in the Montana School for the deaf and blind; and (c) was counted during the previous school year for purposes of school district ANB funding; or was enrolled during the previous school year in a program listed in subsection (7)(b); or is eligible to enter a kindergarten program pursuant to 20-7-117, MCA.  

Applications will be available twice a year on May 1 - June 1 and November 1 - December 1. A link to the online application will be available on the ESA website, paper applications will be available upon request. 

The student amount is a preliminary calculation, and can be located on the Preliminary Allocation Table. The final student amount will be adjusted by 5% to provide for the administrative cost per 20-7-1709, MCA.

For further information, please review our FAQ document.

For further information on the bill, please review HB 393.

Families will work directly with the OPI for reimbursement of eligible expenses. Reimbursements for allowable expenses can be submitted to OPI utilizing the reimbursement form located on the ESA website. Per 20-7-17, MCA, the amount families receive in their savings account is determined by the ANB formula for students. This varies slightly from district to district. You may find the amount per student per district on this table entitled: Education Savings Account: SY2025-2026 Student Amount.

(1) In order for a qualified student to participate in the Montana special needs equal opportunity education savings account program during the time periods designated by the superintendent of public instruction pursuant to 20-7-1706, the superintendent of public instruction shall require parents of qualified students who wish to participate in the program to notify the superintendent of public instruction and sign a contract with the superintendent of public instruction to do the following:

(a) utilize account funds to procure allowable educational resources under 20-7-1704 to develop the qualified student's full educational potential;

(b) release the resident school district from all obligations to educate the qualified student, including any requirements that the district provide a free and appropriate education to the qualified student or develop an individualized education program for the qualified student;

(c) submit to the superintendent of public instruction copies of receipts for allowable educational resources for reimbursement;

(d) if the qualified student is re-enrolled in a public school, immediately notify the superintendent of public instruction; and

(e) if the qualified student enrolls at a qualified school, ensure that the qualified student:

(i) remains in attendance unless excused by the qualified school for illness or other good cause; and

(ii) complies with the qualified school's published policies.

(2) If a qualified student re-enrolls full-time in a public school district, the superintendent of public instruction shall terminate payments for the student to the Montana special needs equal opportunity education savings account.