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School choice refers to policies that give families access to public education funding to attend a school outside their assigned district. The main mechanisms are Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), school vouchers, and tax-credit scholarships. Each works differently, but the outcome is the same: families receive state funds to pay tuition at an accredited private school, online program, or other approved provider. As of 2026, 18 states listed on this page have active programs, and more are expanding eligibility every year.

An ESA is a state-funded account that deposits public education dollars directly to families. Parents spend those funds on approved educational expenses including private school tuition, online learning programs, tutoring, curriculum materials, and standardized testing fees. Unlike vouchers, ESAs give families flexibility to allocate funds across multiple categories. States like Arizona, Florida, Utah, Iowa, and West Virginia operate ESA programs with universal eligibility, meaning all K-12 students qualify regardless of income.

An ESA deposits funds into a parent-controlled account that can be spent on multiple types of approved education expenses. A voucher pays private school tuition directly, typically covering a fixed amount per student. A tax-credit scholarship uses tax credits to fund donations to nonprofit scholarship organizations, which then award scholarships to eligible students. All three can be used at accredited private schools including online programs. The specific program type available depends on your state.

As of 2026, the 18 states listed on this page have active programs that can fund private school tuition. ESA programs operate in Arizona, Florida, Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Voucher programs operate in Indiana, Louisiana, and North Carolina. Tax-credit scholarship programs operate in Alabama, Georgia, Montana, and South Carolina. Several of these states offer universal eligibility, meaning all K-12 families qualify regardless of income.

Yes. Most state ESA and voucher programs explicitly include accredited online learning programs as an approved use of funds. The school must hold recognized accreditation, typically Cognia or equivalent, to qualify as an approved provider. Score Academy Online is Cognia-accredited and NCAA-approved for grades K-12. SAO is an approved provider in Arizona, Alabama, and New Hampshire, a participating school for the West Virginia Hope Scholarship, and accepts FES and FTC scholarship funding (administered by Step Up For Students) for Florida residents enrolled in the Synchronous package.

The process varies by state, but the general steps are: confirm your eligibility through your state's program requirements, gather required documents (proof of residency, student birth certificate, and in some cases income verification), submit an application through your state's ESA or scholarship administrator, and designate your chosen accredited school. Most programs open applications in spring for the following school year, though some states like Arizona accept applications year-round.

Eligible expenses typically include private school tuition and fees, accredited online learning programs, tutoring services, curriculum and textbooks, standardized testing fees, and in some states, educational therapy services for students with special needs. Specifics vary by state. Most ESA programs distribute funds quarterly, and unused balances roll forward to the following year. Families are required to keep receipts and documentation for all ESA purchases.

Yes. Score Academy Online works with state funding in four states: Arizona (Empowerment Scholarship Account), Alabama (CHOOSE Act), New Hampshire (Education Freedom Account), and West Virginia (Hope Scholarship). Families in those states can apply their state funding directly to Score Academy Online tuition. In Florida, SAO accepts FES (Family Empowerment Scholarship) and FTC (Florida Tax Credit) funding administered by Step Up For Students for students enrolled in the Synchronous package. Read the complete guides for Arizona ESA, Alabama CHOOSE Act, New Hampshire EFA, and West Virginia Hope Scholarship for full funding amounts, eligibility, and step-by-step enrollment instructions. SAO is pursuing approved provider status across all other active ESA states. Contact the admissions team to confirm current availability in your state.

TEFA is Texas's ESA program launching for the 2026-27 school year. It provides up to $10,800 per student annually for tuition and approved educational expenses at accredited private schools, including online programs. The program has universal eligibility for all PreK-12 students, with priority given to students with IEPs and lower-income families. It is the largest day-one school choice initiative in US history, with $1 billion appropriated. The program is administered by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.

Step Up For Students is the nonprofit organization that administers Florida's Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) and Florida Tax Credit (FTC) scholarship programs. Eligible Florida families receive up to $8,800 per student annually for tuition at an approved private school. The program has universal eligibility. Students apply through Step Up For Students directly. Score Academy Online accepts FES and FTC scholarship funding for Florida residents enrolled in the Synchronous package. Florida's PEP (Personalized Education Program) is a separate program and is not accepted at SAO.