State Funding for Private Music Lessons???
Jul 23
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Did you know that some states have funding available for families to pay for their childrens’ homeschool or private education?
Me neither! And unfortunately, my state isn't on this list ...
But do you know what that COULD mean for you as a private music teacher?
That means YOUR FEES COULD POTENTIALLY BE REIMBURSABLE to your homeschooled students’ parents!
There are conditions, though. (There usually are...)
Most states limit the funding to students with disabilities or to low-income families. Some states require teachers to become "qualified providers." Some conditions specify that the funds must go to a non-profit educationat organization
However, these conditions could fit your niche, so I'll share what I've learned.
Each state has slightly different laws, and those laws are changing FAST! ESAs are sweeping the nation, with several states implementing them in the 2024-2025 school year.
"What," you ask, "are ESAs?"
So glad you asked! ESA stands for Education Savings Account. It's a very similar concept to HSAs, or Health Savings Accounts.
The ESA program is a source of state funding for homeschooling. As the name implies, states offer savings accounts for the purpose of education. A portion of state taxes is allocated to the public school system. Families who choose an alternative means to educate may qualify for a portion of these funds to be used for homeschool curriculum, supplies, and more. There are eligibility requirements, and not every state has the program (yet!).
At the time of this update (July 2024), the following states have some form of an ESA program in place:
Montana: Montana Special Needs Equal Opportunity Education Savings Account Program
Arizona: Empowerment Scholarship Accounts
Arkansas: Arkansas Children’s Educational Freedom Account Program
Tennessee: Individualized Education Account Program
Mississippi: Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Program
Alabama: Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Student’s Education
Georgia: Georgia Promise Scholarship
Florida: Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options Program
South Carolina: South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program
New York*
North Carolina: Education Student Accounts (ESA+)
West Virginia: Hope Scholarship Program
New Hampshire: Education Freedom Account Program
Alabama:
https://www.revenue.alabama.gov/tax-policy/the-choose-act/
"The CHOOSE Act, signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey on March 7, 2024, makes refundable income tax credits called education savings accounts (ESAs), available to support the success of every K-12 student in Alabama. The law requires the Alabama Department of Revenue to establish a framework and funding for ESAs, which may be used by eligible families to cover tuition, fees, and other qualified education expenses at approved education service providers (ESPs) in Alabama.”
Alaska:
https://www.ideafamilies.org/alaska-homeschool-allotment/
"IDEA’s Alaska homeschool allotment is now $2,700 for all students (K-12) for the 2024/25 school year. In addition to this funding provided to each of our enrolled families, IDEA also offers many value-added enrichment activities and services. Most all IDEA-sponsored events, whether an educational workshop or one of many IDEA teacher-led activities (with the exception of field trips where a vendor requires admission fees) are free to our families."
Arizona:
“Parents have the right to choose what’s best for their family and have their education tax dollars pay for the school that meets their child’s needs. Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) make that possible. With the ESA program, the money that would pay for that student’s education in a neighborhood school follows that student to whichever school the parents choose for their child, including education at home. ESA dollars cover multiple education expenses such as private school tuition, curricula, educational supplies, tutoring and more.”
https://classwallet.com/arizona-esa/
Teachers/providers register as an ESA vendor (Vendor application) as “Tutor - Specific Subject.” This category is for providers who have specific national or regional credentials in their specific area. Examples of Specific Subject Tutoring include but are not limited to: physical education, swimming, driver’s education, dance, music, art, drama, foreign language, martial arts, gymnastics, yoga.
Arkansas:
https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Education_Freedom_Accounts_Poster_OSCPE.pdf
Eligible families may qualify for funds to cover tuition, fees, uniforms, and/or other education-related expenses for either private school or home school in Arkansas. Each quarter, funds are allocated to the accounts of eligible students for use toward approved expenses.
2024-25 STUDENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
Students who were eligible to apply in the 2023-24 school year
First-time kindergarteners enrolling in private school
Students enrolled in “D” or “F” schools or “Level 5” districts
Students coming from the Succeed Scholarship Program
Homeless students
Students with disabilities
Current or former foster care studentsChildren of active-duty military members
Children of veterans
Children of military reservists
Children of first responders
Children of law enforcement officers
Florida:
Family Empowerment scholarships
https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/18766/urlt/FES-EO-FAQs.pdf
There are brand new programs being offered in the state with possibe financial reimbursement for mid- to low-income students.
Indiana:
“Indiana Education Scholarship Account (INESA) will provide students with disabilities and their siblings throughout the state of Indiana access to the educational environment that best meets their learning needs. Parents of eligible students, or emancipated eligible students, have the opportunity to spend dedicated scholarship money on approved educational programs, therapies, services, tuition and fees, and other expenses related to the student’s education. Starting July 1, 2024, parents of approved INESA students can apply for funding for eligible-age siblings who do not require special education services.”
Kansas:
https://www.keep.ks.gov/how-it-works
“KEEP (Kansas Education Enrichment Program) provides qualifying parents/guardians with $1000 award per eligible student to pay for a variety of educational goods and services on an online education marketplace that offers a variety of approved education goods and services.”
Teachers can apply to become Qualified Education Service Providers (see Provider Handbook).
Mississippi:
https://www.mdek12.org/OSE/ESA
“The Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Act enacted by the Mississippi Legislature during the 2015 Session created the Education Scholarship Account (ESA) program (Senate Bill No. 2695). It is a program designed to give those parents with special needs children the option of withdrawing their child from the public school system and receiving a designated amount of funds to help defray the cost of private school tuition or other specific allowable activities to educate their child. The administration of this program has been designated to be performed by the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE).”
Missouri:
https://treasurer.mo.gov/MOScholars/
“In 2021, the Missouri General Assembly passed HB349 and SB86 which established the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program, MOScholars. The law provides state tax credits for contributions to approved, non-profit Educational Assistance Organizations (EAOs). These EAOs use the contributions to award scholarships to Missouri students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and students living in low-income households.”
Montana:
https://opi.mt.gov/Families-Students/Parent-Resources/Education-Savings-Account
“The Education Savings Account is a reimbursement program for parents of a child with a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20. U.S.C 1400, et seq. The purpose of this program is to provide flexibility for parents in their child’s education. Find more information on the Students with Special Needs Opportunity Act.”
New Hampshire:
“The Education Freedom Accounts program was created by the State of New Hampshire to help expand educational opportunities for New Hampshire children. Eligible New Hampshire families earning up to 350% of the poverty line can direct part of their child’s state education funding to pay for tuition at the school of their choice, tutoring, online learning programs, educational supplies, and other educational expenses.”
“Tutoring services provided by a certified/accredited individual or a tutoring facility in the core knowledge domains that include science, mathematics, language, government, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, the history of the constitutions of New Hampshire and the United States, and an exposure to and appreciation of art and music.”
*New York:
*These examples are not government-funded ESAs, but are included because they might be helpful resources for the readers:
New York City Scholarship for homeschoolers
https://nyc.scholarshipfund.org/application/homeschooling/
Children’s Scholarship Fund offered a limited number of privately-funded homeschool scholarships for eligible homeschooling families in New York City for the 2024-25 school year.
This is not related to homeschooled children, but might be of interest to music teachers at private school in NY:
Art and Music Teacher Salary Reimbursement Grant
“The AMTS grant provides religious & independent schools with $5 million in capital funds for the reimbursement of qualified art & music teachers’ salaries. Each school which seeks reimbursement shall submit to the New York State Education Department (NYSED) an application, together with such additional documents as the Commissioner of Education may reasonably require.”
North Carolina:
https://www.ncseaa.edu/k12/esa/
"North Carolina’s Education Student Accounts (ESA+) program is available to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Funds may be used to pay tuition and fees for eligible private schools, and for expenses such as speech therapy, tutoring services, and educational technology."
Ohio:
Ohio Afterschool Child Enrichment (ACE) Educational Savings Account
"The Ohio Afterschool Child Enrichment (ACE) Educational Savings Account program provides qualifying families with a $1,000 credit per child. These funds can be used to pay for a variety of educational activities designed to help accelerate learning for children impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic."
Music lessons are specifically mentioned as an allowable activity. However, purchase of musical instruments and other hardware are not allowable through the ACE Educational Savings account.
Tennessee:
https://www.tn.gov/education/iea.html
“The Individualized Education Account (IEA) Program is a school choice program for eligible students with qualifying disabilities. The IEA Program supports Tennessee families by providing scholarships for students to enroll in an IEA participating non-public school or home schooling. The IEA law is written with specific requirements, one of which is that the student must have been enrolled in a Tennessee public school with a qualifying Individualized Education Program (IEP) for the entire school year before the one in which the student enrolls in the program and receives the IEA. Once a student is enrolled in the IEA Program, the student can no longer be enrolled in public school. These scholarship funds can also be used for certain types of approved educational expenses that best meet the student’s unique learning needs.”
Utah:
https://ufascholarship.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/UFA_FamilyHandbook-4-1.pdf
“Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program will provide up to $8,000 to eligible K-12 students. The scholarship funds will be deposited in an education savings account (ESA) and accessed using a digital wallet. Funds can be used to pay for approved education services and materials, including private school tuition and fees, tutoring services, after school programs and summer camps, materials and curriculum costs, transportation, and more.”
West Virginia:
“West Virginia’s Hope Scholarship empowers families to make school choices that are right for their educational needs. The Hope Scholarship program offers qualifying West Virginia’s K-12 students an opportunity to build an individual learning experience that works best for their child. The scholarship allows K-12 students to receive financial assistance that can be used for tuition, homeschool curriculum, and other qualifying expenses.”
Wyoming:
https://edu.wyoming.gov/for-parents-students/education-savings-account/
Qualifying low-income students could receive $6000 in the form of a Education Savings Account for educational expenses.
If you find you are able to utilize any of these programs, either as a teacher or as a parent, please tell us about it in our Facebook community!
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