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Ivey reminds Alabama families to take action

On Monday, Gov. Kay Ivey reminded Alabama families that the application period for the Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education (CHOOSE) Act — the state’s new education savings account (ESA) initiative — will close at midnight, a week from today, on Monday, April 7.

The CHOOSE Act makes refundable income tax credits called education savings accounts (ESA) available to support the success of eligible K-12 students in Alabama. To be eligible for the program, students must be a resident of Alabama with a household income which does not exceed 300% of the federal poverty level for the 2024-2025 tax year.

Priority for the first 500 awards is given to students with special needs. Priority is also given to students and siblings of participating students as well as dependents of active-duty service members enrolled in or assigned to a priority school; no Crenshaw County Schools are currently named on the priority list.

Governor Ivey championed the CHOOSE Act last year before singing it into law in March 2024.

“Taxpaying Alabama families want school choice, and our ESA program, the CHOOSE Act, is providing that unique opportunity,” Ivey said. “This program gives Alabama students greater flexibility to pursue educational options that meet their individual needs. I urge eligible students to take advantage of this opportunity and apply before the April 7 deadline.”

Through the CHOOSE Act, eligible families can apply online for educational funding for the 2025-2026 school year. This funding can help pay for school tuition, tutoring, educational therapies and other qualified education expenses at approved education service providers (ESPs). In Crenshaw County, Crenshaw Christian Academy is named as a participating school.

Funding for eligible students includes:

• $7,000 per eligible student enrolled in a participating school
• $2,000 per participating student enrolled in a home education program (maximum of $4,000 per family)

The CHOOSE Act provides $100 million in annual ESA funding for eligible Alabama families through the management of the Alabama Department of Revenue. Since applications opened in January 2025, students in every county throughout the state have applied, totaling more than 27,000 students. Once approved for funding, families will be notified in May, and Alabama students can begin using their ESA funds for approved expenses starting in July.

Once initial priorities are met, the remaining ESAs will be awarded for participating students based on each family’s adjusted gross income, not exceeding 300 percent of the federal poverty level for the preceding tax year (e.g., a family of four making less than $93,600 would qualify for funding).

Alabama families must apply by April 7 through the CHOOSE Act program website. The site has additional information and resources about the program, including eligibility information, FAQs and detailed guides for parents and ESPs.

For more information, visit chooseact.alabama.gov.