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NORTH CAROLINA: Personal Education Student Accounts for Children with Disabilities Program

ESA comparison by Policy Hits: 97
  • Fund Administrator:
    • Synopsis:

      State Education Assistance Authority

      , Statute Language:

      Section 115C-597 - Administration 
      (a) Rules and Regulations. - The Authority shall establish rules and regulations for the administration of the program, including the following: 
      (1) The administration and awarding of scholarship funds, including a lottery process for the selection of recipients within the criteria established by G.S. 115C-592(a), if necessary. 
      (2) Requiring a surety bond or insurance to be held by account holders. 
      (3) Use of the funds and the reporting of expenditures. 
      (4) Monitoring and control of spending scholarship funds deposited in a PESA. 
      The Authority shall provide recipients of scholarship funds with the annual list of defined educational technology for which scholarship funds may be used. 
  • Funding Mechanism:
    • Synopsis:

      Appropriation

      , Statute Language:

      (a1) Disbursement of Funds for Tuition. - The method by which the Authority shall disburse scholarship funds awarded to eligible students for tuition at a nonpublic school shall be based upon whether the nonpublic school is a G.S. 115C-562.5 compliant school. Scholarship funds for tuition shall be disbursed as follows: 
  • Program Administrator (Gov't):
    • Synopsis:

      State Education Assistance Authority

      , Statute Language:

      Section 115C-597 - Administration 
      (a) Rules and Regulations. - The Authority shall establish rules and regulations for the administration of the program, including the following: 
      (1) The administration and awarding of scholarship funds, including a lottery process for the selection of recipients within the criteria established by G.S. 115C-592(a), if necessary. 
      (2) Requiring a surety bond or insurance to be held by account holders. 
      (3) Use of the funds and the reporting of expenditures. 
      (4) Monitoring and control of spending scholarship funds deposited in a PESA. 
      The Authority shall provide recipients of scholarship funds with the annual list of defined educational technology for which scholarship funds may be used. 
  • Third Party Administrator:
    • Synopsis:

      ClassWallet
  • Role of DOE:
    • Synopsis:

      None
  • Application Window/Dates:
    • Synopsis:

      March 1 deadline

      , Statute Language:

      (a) Application Selection. - The Authority shall make available no later than February 1 of each year applications to eligible students for the award of scholarship funds for a personal education student account to be used for qualifying education expenses to attend a nonpublic school. Information about scholarship funds and the application process shall be made available on the Authority's website. Applications shall be submitted electronically. The Authority shall award scholarships according to the following criteria for applications received by March 1 of each year: 
  • Fund Disbursement Frequency:
    • Synopsis:

      Biannually

      , Statute Language:

      (b2) Disbursement and Deposit of Awards. - Scholarship funds shall be used only for tuition and qualifying education expenses as provided in G.S. 115C-595. Recipients shall receive the scholarship funds in two equal amounts, one-half in each semester of the school year. The first deposit of funds to a PESA shall be subject to the execution of the parental agreement required by G.S. 115C-595. The parent shall then receive an electronic account with the prepaid funds loaded in the electronic account at the beginning of the school year. Requests for qualifying educational expenses are subject to a preapproval process established by the Authority prior to the disbursement of funds from the electronic account. An expense report shall not be required for any expenses that have been preapproved by the Authority. The electronic account shall be renewed upon the receipt of the parental agreement under G.S. 115C-595 for recipients awarded scholarship funds in subsequent school years. 
  • Average Per-Pupil Funding:
    • Synopsis:

      $11,846

      , Statute Language:

      (b) Scholarship Awards. - Except as provided in subsection (b1) of this section, scholarships shall be awarded each year for an amount not to exceed (i) nine thousand dollars ($9,000) per eligible student for the school year for which the application is received or (ii) for eligible part-time students, four thousand five hundred dollars ($4,500) per eligible student for the school year for which the application is received. Any funds remaining in an electronic account provided under subsection (b2) of this section at the end of a school year for eligible students who qualify only under this subsection shall be returned to the Authority. 
  • Income Limit:
    • Synopsis:

      None

      , Statute Language:

      (3) Eligible student. - A student residing in North Carolina who has not yet received a high school diploma and who meets all of the following requirements: 
      a. Is eligible to attend a North Carolina public school pursuant to Article 25 of this Chapter. A child who is the age of four on or before April 16 is eligible to attend the following school year if the principal, or equivalent, of the school in which the child seeks to enroll finds that the student meets the requirements established by the Authority pursuant to G.S. 115C-562.2(d) and those findings are submitted to the Authority with the child's application. 
      b. Has not been enrolled in a postsecondary institution as a full-time student taking at least 12 hours of academic credit. 
      c. Is a child with a disability, as defined in G.S. 115C-106.3(1). 
      d. Has not been placed in a nonpublic school or facility by a public agency at public expense. 
  • Prior Year Public School Requirement:
    • Synopsis:

      Conditional

      , Statute Language:

      d. Has not been placed in a nonpublic school or facility by a public agency at public expense. 
  • Geographic Limit:
    • Synopsis:

      Statewide

      , Statute Language:

      a. Is eligible to attend a North Carolina public school pursuant to Article 25 of this Chapter. A child who is the age of four on or before April 16 is eligible to attend the following school year if the principal, or equivalent, of the school in which the child seeks to enroll finds that the student meets the requirements established by the Authority pursuant to G.S. 115C-562.2(d) and those findings are submitted to the Authority with the child's application. 
  • Additional Eligibility Check:
    • Synopsis:

      IEP

      , Statute Language:

      (a) Verification of Information. - The Authority may seek verification of information on any application for the award of scholarship funds for a personal education student account. The Authority shall establish rules for the verification process. If a household fails to cooperate with verification efforts, the Authority shall revoke the award of scholarship funds for a PESA for the eligible student. 
      (b) Access to Information. - Applicants for the award of scholarship funds for a PESA shall authorize the Authority to access information needed for verification efforts held by other State agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Public Instruction. 
  • Homeschool Compatible:
    • Synopsis:

      Yes

      , Statute Language:

      (3) Eligible student. - A student residing in North Carolina who has not yet received a high school diploma and who meets all of the following requirements: 
      a. Is eligible to attend a North Carolina public school pursuant to Article 25 of this Chapter. A child who is the age of four on or before April 16 is eligible to attend the following school year if the principal, or equivalent, of the school in which the child seeks to enroll finds that the student meets the requirements established by the Authority pursuant to G.S. 115C-562.2(d) and those findings are submitted to the Authority with the child's application. 
      b. Has not been enrolled in a postsecondary institution as a full-time student taking at least 12 hours of academic credit. 
      c. Is a child with a disability, as defined in G.S. 115C-106.3(1). 
      d. Has not been placed in a nonpublic school or facility by a public agency at public expense. 
  • Enrollment Cap:
    • Synopsis:

      None
  • Lottery:
    • Synopsis:

      None
  • Testing:
    • Synopsis:

      N/A

      , Statute Language:

      e. Fees for nationally standardized norm-referenced achievement tests, advanced placement tests, or nationally recognized college entrance exams. 
  • Authorized Use of Funds:
    • Synopsis:

      Private School Tuition
      Education Therapies
      Private Tutoring
      Public School Services (Classes and/or Extracurricular)
      Transportation
      ESA Management Fees
      Textbooks
      Curricula and Supplementary Materials
      Computers/Technology
      Testing Fees
      Insurance Premiums / Surety Bonds

      , Statute Language:

      (3) Use the scholarship funds deposited into a personal education student account only for the following qualifying education expenses of the eligible student: 
      a. Tuition and fees for a G.S. 115C-562.5 compliant school, disbursed as provided in subdivision (1) of subsection (a1) of this section. 
      b. Textbooks required by a nonpublic school. 
      c. Tutoring and teaching services provided by an individual or facility accredited by a State, regional, or national accrediting organization. 
      d. Curricula. 
      e. Fees for nationally standardized norm-referenced achievement tests, advanced placement tests, or nationally recognized college entrance exams. 
      f. Fees charged to the account holder for the management of the PESA. 
      g. Fees for services provided by a public school, including individual classes and extracurricular programs. 
      h. Premiums charged to the account holder for any insurance or surety bonds required by the Authority. 
      i. Educational therapies from a licensed or accredited practitioner or provider. 
      j. Educational technology defined by the Authority as approved for use pursuant to G.S. 115C-591(2a). 
      k. Student transportation, pursuant to a contract with an entity that regularly provides student transportation, to and from (i) a provider of education or related services or (ii) an education activity. 
      l. Transaction or merchant fees charged to the account holder, not to exceed two and one-half percent (2.5%) of the cost of the item or service. 
      (3a) Use of scholarship funds for reimbursement of tuition. - Notwithstanding sub-subdivision a. of subdivision (3) of this subsection, a parent of an eligible student may pay tuition to Part 1 or 2 nonpublic schools that are not G.S. 115C-562.5compliant schools with funds other than funds available in the personal education student account and then request reimbursement from the Authority from scholarship funds if the parent complies with the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection (a1) of this section. 
      (4) Not use scholarship funds for any of the following purposes: 
      a. Computer hardware or other technological devices not defined by the Authority as educational technology approved for use pursuant to G.S. 115C-591(2a). 
      b. Consumable educational supplies, including paper, pen, or markers. 
      c. Tuition and fees at an institution of higher education, as defined in G.S. 116-143.1, or a private postsecondary institution. 
      d. Tuition and fees for a nonpublic school that meets the requirements of Part 3 of Article 39 of this Chapter.