How to Find ESA-Approved Schools That Fit Your Child's Needs

If your state has launched a K-12 education savings account, securing funding may be easier than finding the right school. 

Program names, spending rules, and participating school lists vary by state, and they can change during the school year.

This guide explains the basics of education savings accounts, where to find official information, how to confirm that a school participates, and how to evaluate fit before enrolling.

State K-12 education savings accounts (ESAs) are publicly funded programs. They are different from Coverdell ESAs, which are tax-advantaged accounts for qualified education expenses, and they are not 529 plans.

Jump to:

• ESA Basics for K-12, in Plain English
• Where to Look First in Your State
• How to Verify That a School Accepts ESA Funds
• Fit First, Then Funding
• Special Education Rights Worth Knowing
• Budgeting and Timing
• Use a Verify-Then-Visit Approach

ESA Basics for K-12, in Plain English

A state K-12 ESA generally places public funds into an account that families can use for approved education expenses.

These often include private school tuition and may also cover tutoring, curriculum, therapies, or testing.

Each state decides what qualifies, how much families receive, and how payments are processed.

Because rules differ, treat your state's program handbook or agency page as the governing source. Check it again before each school year and before making a large purchase.

Where to Look First in Your State

Third-party overviews can help you understand the options or compare programs across state lines. However, they may not reflect recent changes.

Use them to create a shortlist, then verify every detail through official channels.

Fusion Academy, for example, publishes a roundup of participating-school information that can provide a starting point before you check your state's directory or marketplace.

Official information typically appears in one of these places:

• Florida: Step Up For Students maintains a statewide "Find a School" directory with more than 2,000 private school entries. The Florida Department of Education's directory also includes scholarship participation filters, but notes that inclusion does not imply state approval or accreditation.
• Tennessee: The Department of Education publishes regional lists of schools participating in the state's ESA program.
• West Virginia: The Hope Scholarship Board maintains a searchable list of participating schools and approved marketplace providers.
• Iowa: Students First ESA requires enrollment in an accredited nonpublic school. For 2026-27, tuition and fees must be paid through the ESA portal by September 30, 2026.
• Texas: The Comptroller's office operates the Texas Education Freedom Account program and a marketplace of approved products and vendors.
• South Carolina: The state Department of Education administers the Education Scholarship Trust Fund with payment-platform support. The program reached its 15,000-student cap for 2026-27, and applications closed.
• Utah: The state board directs Utah Fits All families to the program administrator for current eligibility and provider information.
• Indiana: The state's ESA program serves eligible students with disabilities and their siblings. Administration moved to the Indiana Department of Education on July 1, 2026.
• Arizona: The state does not provide one statewide approved-schools page. The Arizona Department of Education directs families to find registered schools and providers through the program's payment marketplace.

How to Verify That a School Accepts ESA Funds

Use these five steps to confirm participation and avoid payment problems:

1. Search the official directory or marketplace. If your state offers a scholarship-participation filter, start there. Otherwise, search the payment platform used by the program.
2. Call admissions and the business office. Ask which programs the school accepts for the current year. A school network such as Fusion Academy should still confirm participation directly, even if a campus appears in a third-party roundup.
3. Ask how tuition is invoiced. Payments may go through a state portal, an outside payment platform, direct billing, or a reimbursement process.
4. Confirm testing and reporting duties. Some states require ESA students to take assessments or submit records. Ask which requirements apply and who handles them.
5. Save written confirmation. Keep a dated email or screenshot in case the listing, process, or school contact changes.

A short call script can keep the conversation focused: Which scholarship programs do you currently accept? How and when are invoices submitted?

Are standardised tests required for ESA students? What happens if the award changes during the year? What will the family owe after the award, including fees?

For a quick orientation, ESA approved schools from Fusion Academy can help you build a shortlist, but confirm each listing through the state portal and school.

Fit First, Then Funding

Funding determines what you can afford. Fit determines whether the placement is likely to work.

Before comparing prices, write down what your child needs and evaluate each school against the same criteria:

• Learning model, such as one-to-one, small group, hybrid, or online instruction
• Pacing options, including acceleration or credit recovery
• Support for dyslexia, ADHD, anxiety, speech needs, or occupational therapy
• Schedule and commute, including start times and after-school coverage
• School culture, discipline practices, and extracurricular activities
• Graduation requirements and whether credits will transfer

Ask for a trial day, classroom observation, or sample lesson plan when available.

Families seeking individualized instruction may consider schools designed around one-to-one learning, and Fusion Academy is one example in that category.

Whatever model you consider, compare it with your child's needs rather than relying on a school's general reputation.

Special Education Rights Worth Knowing

If your child has an individualized education program (IEP), moving to a private school changes the legal framework.

Under federal IDEA regulations at 34 CFR 300.132, students placed in private schools by their parents may receive equitable services through a services plan developed with the local school district.

This is different from the individual entitlement to a free appropriate public education that applies in public school.

Ask each private school which supports it provides on campus, which services it contracts out, and how it coordinates with the local district.

Also contact the district's special education office to learn which equitable services are available to private school students in your area.

Budgeting and Timing

Match your payment calendar to the program's schedule. Texas scheduled initial TEFA funding for July 1, 2026, while Iowa requires 2026-27 tuition and fees to be paid through its ESA portal by September 30, 2026. Some programs require families to cover tuition and fees before using funds for other expenses, so check the spending order in the program handbook.

Next, calculate the funding gap. Add tuition, registration, materials, uniforms, technology, testing, and transportation, then subtract the ESA award. The remaining balance is the amount your family must plan to pay.

Common Pitfalls

• Assuming every state has an approved-schools list. Arizona families, for example, use marketplace listings to find registered schools and providers.
• Relying only on a school's website. Scholarship pages may not reflect current participation or payment procedures.
• Missing an enrollment or payment deadline. Record every date from the official program handbook.
• Skipping questions about testing. Confirm assessment requirements before enrolling rather than discovering them in the spring.
• Assuming applications stay open. Programs may close when they reach a student or funding cap, as South Carolina did for 2026-27.

Use a Verify-Then-Visit Approach

Start with your state's official directory or marketplace. Confirm participation with the school in writing, then visit the campus and ask specific questions about instruction, support, costs, and payment procedures. Keep confirmations, receipts, and deadlines in one folder.

Program rules can change, and published lists may not show the latest details.

Building your shortlist from official sources and verifying participation directly lets you spend more time deciding whether a school is right for your child.