Mississippi

How it works

Created in 2015 for children with disabilities. Parents withdraw the child from the public system and are reimbursed quarterly for private school tuition and other allowable expenses, which include textbooks and curriculum with its required supplemental materials. 2026-27 reimbursement requests are due 31 August 2026, 27 November 2026, 26 February 2027 and 31 May 2027.

Programme

Education Scholarship Account (Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Act)

Administered by

Mississippi Department of Education, Office of Special Education

Amount

Up to $8,421 for 2026-27, paid as quarterly reimbursements

For homeschoolers

Does not fund homeschooling

Who qualifies

Mississippi residents with an IEP developed by a public school district that was active within the past three years, who have been accepted into an eligible private school. This programme does not serve homeschoolers. Under the current rules (the Department’s FAQ, revised October 2025; the Department also posts House Bill 1229 as the new law), an eligible school does not include a home instruction programme, and parents must agree not to file a certificate of enrolment for home instruction. Students also cannot hold the ESA and the Dyslexia Therapy or Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship at the same time.

How to apply

1. Confirm your child is eligible for this year — see "Who qualifies" above.
2. Check this year's window. Applications are accepted throughout the year and awarded first come, first served; eligible applicants beyond the funded places go on a waiting list. The Department recommends applying between December and May so the award is in place before the school year. Applications must be complete — an incomplete one is not processed. Dates move every year, so confirm on the official page before you plan around them.
3. Create a parent account on the official portal and start the application.
4. Have your documents ready. Most programmes want proof of residency, the child's birth certificate, and an IEP or eligibility determination if the programme is disability-based.
5. Once you're approved, spend it. Curriculum is a reimbursable expense for enrolled ESA students, with receipts. For a family homeschooling in Mississippi there is currently no state funding programme, so Historical Conquest would be bought directly.

Official programme page: mdek12.org/specialeducation/esa. Amounts, deadlines and eligibility are set by the state and change every year — always confirm there before you plan around them.

Sources

Checked 18 September 2026 against these sources:

• mdek12.org/specialeducation/esa
• mdek12.org/…/ESA_FAQ_revised_10-2025.pdf
• mdek12.org/…/2026-2027-ESA-Application.pdf
• mdek12.org/…/HB1229-New-Law.pdf