Online schools that accept ESA funding: a 2026-27 guide

Updated September 26, 2026 8 min read By the Recess team

THE SHORT ANSWER

Many private online schools accept ESA funds, including Recess, K12 Private Academy, Prisma, Sora Schools, Laurel Springs, Acellus Academy, CMASAS and Score Academy. Which ones you can use depends on your state: online private tuition is widely payable with ESAs in Arizona, Arkansas, Utah, New Hampshire, Alabama and West Virginia, partly payable in Florida through PEP and FES-UA, and generally not payable in Iowa, Tennessee's EFS or Ohio EdChoice, which require an in-state campus. Public virtual schools like K12's charters and Connections Academy are free but can't take ESA money.

What makes an online school ESA-eligible

An education savings account (ESA) puts your state's per-student education dollars in a restricted account you control. For an online school to take that money, three things usually have to be true:

It's a private school or approved provider. Public virtual schools and charters are already funded by the state, and ESA students generally can't be enrolled in them at the same time.
It's approved in your state's portal. Funds only flow to providers registered with the program administrator: ClassWallet in Arizona, Arkansas, Alabama and New Hampshire, Odyssey in Utah, Iowa, Louisiana and Wyoming, and Step Up For Students in Florida.
It meets your state's rules on accreditation and location. Some states require an in-state campus, which rules out out-of-state online schools entirely.

That's why the same school can be fully fundable in Arizona and not fundable at all in Iowa.

Which states let you use an ESA for online school

State	Program	2026-27 award (typical)	Online private tuition?
Arizona	Empowerment Scholarship Account	About $7,000-$8,000 (much more with disabilities)	Yes
Arkansas	Education Freedom Account	$7,208	Yes
Utah	Utah Fits All	Up to $8,000 (private-school track)	Yes
Alabama	CHOOSE Act	$7,000	Yes
West Virginia	Hope Scholarship	About $5,436	Yes
New Hampshire	Education Freedom Account	About $4,300 base, higher with add-ons	Yes
Wyoming	Steamboat Legacy Scholarship	Up to $7,000	Yes (litigation ongoing)
Missouri	MOScholars	Up to about $6,760	Yes
Louisiana	LA GATOR	$5,243 standard, $7,626 for lower-income families	Yes (portal opening for 2026-27)
Florida	PEP and FES-UA (Step Up)	About $8,000 PEP; FES-UA from about $10,000	Partly: online classes and curriculum through PEP and FES-UA, not FTC or FES-EO
Texas	Texas Education Freedom Accounts	$10,474 private school	Limited: accredited providers with Texas requirements
Iowa	Students First ESA	$8,148	Generally no (Iowa-accredited nonpublic school required)
Tennessee	Education Freedom Scholarships	$7,530	No (in-state school required)
Ohio	EdChoice (voucher)	$6,165 (K-8)	No (chartered Ohio school required)

Awards change every year and often depend on grade, income and disability status. Check your state administrator's current handbook before you commit.

Online schools that accept ESA funding

Recess

Grades 2-10 · Live, full school day · ESA states: Arizona, Florida (FES-UA and PEP), Utah, Arkansas, Missouri, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Indiana (students with documented needs), California charter networks, and Louisiana as its portal opens

Recess is an online school with a complete school day: a morning learning pod with the same kids and adult every day, core academics (math, English, science and history) taught live in small groups and mastery-based, afternoon electives, project challenges and a daily community hour. Recess students scored at a median of the 89th percentile in math and 91st in reading on NWEA MAP Growth in 2025-26.

Recess is an approved provider in each of these programs. Your state award counts toward tuition first, and we work with you to bring your out-of-pocket cost down as much as possible. Many families pay $0. Smaller awards and California charter funds still apply toward tuition, and households earning under $150,000 may also qualify for financial aid. Arizona families enroll in the Recess school itself; families in other states access Recess through an accredited partner school in the Recess school network, which issues transcripts, or through Recess's online learning program. See ESA funding by state or estimate your tuition.

K12 Private Academy

K-12 · Online, teacher-led courses · ESA states: Arizona, Arkansas, Alabama, New Hampshire, South Carolina, West Virginia (also lists Texas and Utah)

The private, tuition-based sibling of Stride's free K12 public schools. 2026-27 tuition is $5,995 for elementary and $6,995 for middle school, so a full Arizona or Arkansas award can cover it. Don't confuse it with the K12-powered public virtual schools, which are free and can't take ESA funds.

Prisma

Grades 4-12 · Live project-based cohorts, about 2 to 2.5 hours a day Mon-Thu · Accepts ESA funds directly in some states, by reimbursement in others

Prisma groups students into live cohorts with a consistent coach and organizes learning around themed projects. Grades 4-8 tuition is $11,190 with a Prisma coach or $5,350 with a parent coach.

Sora Schools

Grades 6-12 · Live, project-based "expeditions" · ESA states: Arizona, Utah, West Virginia, New Hampshire

Full tuition is $17,900 with flexible tuition from $7,500. In Utah, "UT Online by Sora" is marketed as free through Utah Fits All. No elementary grades.

Laurel Springs School

K-12 · Mostly self-paced, with a live option for older grades · ESA states: Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, New Hampshire (new for 2026-27)

Elementary tuition starts around $7,200. Laurel Springs says it isn't eligible in Florida or Texas.

Acellus Academy

K-12 · Self-paced video lessons · ESA states: Arizona

One of the lowest-cost options, with plans from $249 a month, all payable through ClassWallet. Instruction is almost entirely recorded video, so it works best for independent learners.

Christa McAuliffe Academy School of Arts and Sciences (CMASAS)

K-12 · Self-paced, mastery-based with a weekly coach · ESA states: Arizona, Tennessee's older ESA pilot, Texas (2026-27)

WASC-accredited, with elementary tuition around $6,995 to $7,995. Students work asynchronously with a personalized education plan and weekly coaching.

Score Academy

K-12 · Live (up to 4 students), flex or self-paced, priced per course · ESA states: Arizona, Alabama, New Hampshire, West Virginia

Cognia-accredited and priced per course, so costs depend on how many courses and which format you choose.

Pearson Online Academy

K-12 · Online private school · Preferred vendor in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, New Hampshire, West Virginia

The private sibling of Connections Academy. Families often pay first and submit the receipt for reimbursement.

Curriculum providers (not full schools)

Time4Learning and Miacademy are self-paced online curricula approved as vendors in many ESA states, including Florida through PEP. They're useful for homeschool families, but they aren't a school day with teachers and classmates.

Why Connections Academy and K12 public schools don't take ESAs

Connections Academy, K12's public virtual schools, Primavera Online and Arizona's Unbound Academy are tuition-free public schools. They're already paid for by the state, so an ESA can't pay them, and in most states accepting an ESA means your child can't also be enrolled in a public school. If you want a free option, these are worth a look. If you want to use your ESA, you need a private school or provider.

How to pay an online school with ESA funds

Most portals give you a few ways to move money to an approved provider:

Direct pay or marketplace: the provider is listed in the portal and your balance is debited.
Pay an invoice: you upload the school's invoice and the portal pays the school.
Reimbursement: you pay out of pocket, then submit receipts. Not every state allows it, and some providers (Prisma and Pearson in certain states) rely on it.

Quarterly funding is common, so ask each school how it lines up tuition payments with your state's deposit schedule. Our guide to how to use ESA funds walks through each portal in detail.

What to compare besides price

A full ESA award can make several of these schools cost nothing out of pocket, so price stops being the deciding factor. Compare instead:

Live teaching vs self-paced. Self-paced video schools are cheaper, but younger kids and kids with attention differences usually need a live adult and classmates.
Hours of real instruction per day. Ask for an hour-by-hour sample day.
Social time. Is there a stable peer group that meets daily?
Results. Ask for nationally normed test results such as NWEA MAP Growth.
Transcripts. Make sure records transfer if your child moves back to a traditional school.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use ESA funds for online school?

Yes, for private online schools in most ESA states, including Arizona, Arkansas, Utah, Alabama, West Virginia and New Hampshire. The school must be approved in your state's portal. ESA funds can't pay public virtual schools or charters, and a few states (Iowa, Tennessee's EFS, Ohio) require an in-state campus.

Which online schools accept Arizona ESA?

Many do, including Recess, K12 Private Academy, Sora Schools, Laurel Springs, Acellus Academy, CMASAS, Score Academy and Pearson Online Academy. Arizona's ESA is universal, pays through ClassWallet, and clearly allows online private school tuition.

Does ESA cover full tuition at an online school?

Often. A typical Arizona, Arkansas or Utah award of $7,000 to $8,000 fully covers several online schools. At Recess, your state award counts toward tuition first and many families pay $0; smaller awards still apply toward tuition, and households earning under $150,000 may also qualify for financial aid.

Can I use Florida Step Up funds for an online school?

Partly. Florida's FTC and FES-EO scholarships require a physical Florida school, so virtual private schools aren't eligible for them. PEP and FES-UA (Unique Abilities) funds can pay for online classes and curriculum from approved providers. Recess accepts Florida FES-UA and PEP.

Does Connections Academy or K12 accept ESA?

No. Connections Academy and K12's public virtual schools are tuition-free public schools, so ESA funds can't pay them. K12 Private Academy and Pearson Online Academy, their private counterparts, do accept ESA funds in several states.

Can I use Texas TEFA funds for an online school?

In limited cases. Texas Education Freedom Accounts launch in 2026-27 with $10,474 for private school. Providers must meet Texas accreditation and operating requirements, so most out-of-state online schools aren't eligible. Check the Texas Comptroller's approved list.

Do I have to withdraw from public school to use an ESA?

In most states, yes. Accepting an ESA generally means your child can't be enrolled in a public or charter school at the same time. Check your state's program rules for exact timing.

SOURCES

Program rules, award amounts and tuition change every year. We re-check this guide regularly; confirm details with your state administrator or the school before you decide.