Iowa Students First Education Savings Accounts (Students First ESA)
Award amounts: Iowa Department of Education, November 9, 2026. School list: Iowa Department of Education, 2025-26 Iowa Nonpublic School Building Directory, as of Mar 16, 2026. Funding depends on eligibility, approval and available funds.
Students First ESA is Iowa’s education savings account, the program most families call the Iowa school voucher. The published 2026–27 figure is $8,148 per student. Full-year award for a student at an Iowa accredited nonpublic school
Who runs it and how to apply
Students First ESA is run by the Iowa Department of Education, with accounts managed through the ESA portal. Families apply through the official site, educate.iowa.gov/pk-12/educational-choice/education-savings-account. The 2026–27 full-year window closed at 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2026. The half-year window is 8:00 a.m. October 15 through 11:59 p.m. November 15, 2026. A full-year award is kept only if the student is attending and tuition and fees are paid through the ESA portal by 11:59 p.m. September 30, 2026. The half-year payment deadline is 11:59 p.m. January 14, 2027.
What schools must do to take part
Students First ESAs can be used at any Iowa accredited nonpublic school. Families pay tuition and fees through the ESA portal, and the school verifies the student's enrollment.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Iowa school voucher for private school?
$8,148 per student for the 2026–27 school year at an approved private school. A half-year ESA, for families who apply in the fall window, is $4,074.
Is Students First ESA a school voucher?
Yes, in everyday terms. Students First ESA is an education savings account (ESA), which most people call the Iowa school voucher. Instead of a paper voucher, approved families receive funds in an account they use for tuition and other approved costs at participating schools.
Does every applicant get Students First ESA funding?
Not automatically. Since 2025–26 every Iowa resident K–12 student can apply regardless of income, but each application must be approved. The student must attend an Iowa accredited nonpublic school, and the family must pay tuition and fees through the ESA portal by 11:59 p.m. on September 30, 2026 (full-year) or January 14, 2027 (half-year). Missing that deadline makes the student ineligible to receive and keep the award. Funding depends on eligibility, approval and available funds.
Which Christian schools accept the Iowa school voucher?
Schools must be approved by the program. This site lists 170 Christian and Catholic schools confirmed on the official participating list (as of March 16, 2026).
How is cost after funding calculated?
The tuition the school publishes, minus the standard award, never below zero. Fees such as registration, books and transportation may apply on top.
Schools that accept the Students First ESA voucher, by city
Cities with fewer than 3 participating schools are on the Iowa city list.