FAQs

While the income thresholds for the 2025-2026 school year have not yet been released, you can reference the 2024-2025 income thresholds to get an idea of what 300% of the federal poverty line looks like.

Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, all students, except for students with special needs, are subject to the income threshold until the 2027-2028 school year.

An Educational Savings Account, or ESA, provides qualifying parents with a savings account, similar to a flexible spending account, with restricted use of the funds for education-related expenses, including nonpublic school tuition.

Starting in the 2025-2026 school year and phased in over 3 years, bill SB61 will provide qualifying families, including those already enrolled in our Catholic schools, with $7,000 per student in an ESA to use for tuition at a non-public school. To read the full bill: Click here.

Everyone. In 25-26 and 26-27, families whose income is at or below 300% of the poverty level qualify to apply for an ESA. In 27-28, any family can apply for an ESA allowing all families to have access to Catholic education without financial barrier. In addition, other states with ESAs have seen improvements in student performance, teacher salaries, and greater educational options for rural families.

The ESA can be used toward any qualifying education-related expense, as long as it has been approved by the state. Such expenses can include tuition for private school, special needs services, and school supplies.

Families will have the option to split their funds however they wish. For example, families may choose to spend the entire ESA toward tuition or families may choose to use a portion of the ESA on tuition and the remaining portion toward supplies or special needs services.

The funds do not rollover. At the end of the school year, any remaining funds return to the state. If families are awarded the ESA and have remaining funds, please encourage them to use it toward supplies or other school-related expenses.

At this time, we are awaiting guidance from the state for a concise answer on required documentation. However, we anticipate that families will need to be able to provide the following:

• Proof of Identification (Driver's license or State ID)

• A document to serve as proof of residency (only residents of Alabama are eligible for the program)

• A document to serve as proof of citizenship (only U.S. citizens are eligible for this program)