Overview
In 2023, Montana created Montana Special Needs Equal Opportunity Education Savings Accounts. Montana joins 17 other states in authorizing Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) for students.
Montana’s ESA program provides parents of a child with a disability access to an account from which they can be reimbursed for educational expenses of roughly $5,500 for elementary students and $8,000 for a high school student. Parents can use ESAs to pay for private school tuition, home education, tutors, curriculum, therapies, and more.
Interested in learning more about ESAs for your student? We’ve put together this ultimate guide to ESAs in Montana to answer your questions.
What are Education Savings Accounts?
ESAs allow parents to direct a portion of the public education dollars allocated to their student to reimbursement payments for a variety of educational options of a parent’s choice outside of the traditional public school system. While some states now authorize ESAs for all students, Montana’s ESA program is only for students with disabilities. ESAs in Montana are administered by the Office of Public Instruction (OPI). Montana’s ESA allows for reimbursement for tuition to private schools and microschools or for other educational expenses such as therapies, textbooks, online courses, etc., often referred to as unbundled goods and services.
How much funding is available for students?
Once approved, participants will be eligible for an amount prescribed by law and determined by the OPI. The specific amount will vary based on the student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and the district in which they are zoned. Also, as school funding adjusts year-to-year, the ESA Student Amount will also adjust. Families can expect to receive around $5,500 for elementary education and up to $8,000 for high school.
You can check estimated amounts for your student based on your resident school district on the Education Savings Account Student table.
Families coordinate directly with OPI to receive reimbursement for qualified expenses as explained in the Parent Handbook.
Student Eligibility
A student must meet all of following requirements to participate in Montana’s ESA program:
- Montana resident aged between 5 and 19 on September 10th
- Must have attended public school in the previous year, unless:
- The student did not reside in the state the previous school year
- The student is newly eligible to enter kindergarten
- The student was previously enrolled in a school for juvenile corrections or the deaf and blind in the prior school year
- Has been identified as having special needs under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) definition of a “child with disabilities.”
Note: if your child meets the eligibility requirements, to use the ESA, a parent must disenroll their student from the traditional public school and either enroll their child in a private school or register as a homeschool parent if using the ESA funds for unbundled services.
To verify a student’s eligibility, parents can expect the OPI will request an evaluation report, IEP, or private place-service plan during the program application process.
Eligible Expenses
The OPI’s Parent ESA Handbook lists the following general eligible expenses:
- Qualified school tuition, fees, textbooks, software, or other instructional materials or services
- Electronic educational program or course or distance learning programs
- Curriculum materials
- Tutoring
- Educational therapies including occupational, behavioral, physical, speech, and audiology therapies from a licensed or certified provider
- State of nationally recognized assessment tests, advanced placement exams, entrance exams for eligible post-secondary institutions
- Services provided by a public school in the state, including classes and extracurricular activities
- Eligible postsecondary institution tuition, books, online course, or certain fees
- No more than $50 (annually) in consumable education supplies such as paper, pens, and markers
- Transportation required for another allowable education service
- Fees for cooperative educational programs
Review OPI’s Parent Handbook for the Special Needs ESA for a comprehensive list of allowable and unallowable expenses.
Provider Responsibilities
The ESA program in Montana is directly administered between OPI and the parent as a reimbursement model. Parents will choose educational services and providers and purchase materials to support their educational goals, then submit receipts to the OPI for reimbursement. The education provider does not need to be pre-approved by the OPI in order for parents to use ESA funds to pay for services.
Education entrepreneurs who provide services for students with disabilities should consider sharing the ESA program information with families, letting them know that there are available resources to help them pay for the education and services they need for their students.
How to Apply
Visit OPI’s ESA page to learn more about the Montana Special Needs Equal Opportunity Education Savings Accounts.
More Resources
U.S. Department of Education’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Private School Providers
Microschool Providers
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: Parents should know that Montana’s ESA program now faces a pending legal challenge, but the court has allowed the program to proceed while the case is considered. At this time, the program is running and enrolled parents have begun to receive reimbursement for education expenses in September, but parents should be aware that the benefits may not continue, ultimately depending on the decision made by the court.
Read Ed Choice’s Press Release for more information about the lawsuit. We will also update this website with news as this case develops.
To stay updated about the pending lawsuit or upcoming ESA application period, click the button below to sign up.
