CHOOSE Act family application portals to open for 2026-27 school year

MONTGOMERY – Information on CHOOSE Act family applications is now available on the program’s updated website, Gov. Kay Ivey announced today.

The website provides Alabama families with the latest information about the CHOOSE (Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education) Act, including eligibility information, an online application for both renewing and new families, program FAQ, important deadlines and parent and education service provider (ESP) guides.

The renewing family application portal for the 2026-2027 academic year will open Dec. 15 and the new family application portal will open Jan. 2. Both application portals close March 31, with award notifications scheduled to be sent out on April 15.

 “The CHOOSE Act is a great success for real Alabama families and our state’s continued educational growth,” said Ivey. “I am excited for even more Alabama parents to have a greater voice in their children’s education, and I urge parents to apply and choose the education that best suits their children.”

The CHOOSE Act makes refundable income tax credits, called ESAs, available to support the success of eligible K5-12 students across Alabama. An ESA can be used to pay for school tuition, tutoring, educational therapies and other qualified education expenses at approved ESPs. Funding for eligible students includes:

• $7,000 per participating student enrolled in a participating school
• $2,000 per participating student who is participating in a home education program (this includes an individual or group program, homeschool, co-ops, etc. and is capped at $4,000 per family)

For the 2026-2027 academic year, the program is open to new families with an adjusted gross income (AGI) not exceeding 300 percent of the federal poverty level for the preceding tax year. For the 2027-2028 academic year and beyond, the program is open to all families, regardless of income.

The program will prioritize students with special needs, participating students and their siblings and students who are dependents of active-duty service members enrolled in or assigned to a priority school.

Remaining ESAs will be available to students based on the family’s AGI as a percentage of the federal poverty level.

For more information about CHOOSE Act Alabama, visit chooseact.alabama.gov.