North Carolina's Education Student Accounts (ESA+) is a state-funded programme for students with disabilities that gives families funds to spend on approved educational expenses - including tutoring, therapies, private school tuition, and educational technology.
We're working to become an approved ESA+ vendor so North Carolina families can use their funds for live, online math instruction with our expert teachers.
Eligibility
Eligibility requirements for the ESA+ in North Carolina
The ESA+ is available to K–12 students with a documented disability requiring special education services.
Students must meet the following requirements:
- A North Carolina resident in grades K–12
- Have an eligibility determination issued by a North Carolina public school within the last three years, confirming a disability that requires special education services
Note — an Individualised Education Program is not required to apply, only the eligibility determination document.
Application
The ESA+ application process in North Carolina
Applications for the ESA+ are administered by the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA) through their MyPortal system.
The next window for 2027–28 is expected to open in early 2027.
To apply, parents/guardians must:
- Create an account on MyPortal (this can be done before the application window opens)
- Submit the ESA+ application during the priority window
- Upload the student's Eligibility Determination — a document issued by a North Carolina school confirming the student has a qualifying disability. This must be uploaded within seven days of submitting the application.
- Provide proof of North Carolina residency if requested (e.g. NC driver's licence, state ID, current bank statement, or paycheck). Not all families are asked for this — you'll see a task in MyPortal if it applies to you.
Families must renew annually, and renewal requires submitting test results to maintain eligibility.
Using Your Funds
How to spend ESA+ funds and what they can be spent on
The annual ESA+ award is $9,000 – $17,000 per student.
All purchases must be made through ClassWallet — direct reimbursements to parents are not permitted.
ESA+ funds can be spent on:
- Tuition and fees at a registered private school
- Tutoring services (live instruction in core subjects including math, reading, and science)
- MyEdSpace (see more information below)
- Educational therapies and paraprofessional services
- Textbooks, curriculum, and instructional materials
- Educational software and technology
- Fees for standardised tests, AP exams, and college entrance exams
Note: tutoring must be live instruction, either in-person or online. Recorded programmes or self-guided apps alone do not qualify.
For students awarded $17,000, up to $4,500 may roll over per year, capped at $30,000 over a lifetime.
Students receiving the ESA+ are required to take a nationally standardized test each year. Scores are reported to the state anonymously and no minimum score is required.
MyEdSpace
How to use your ESA+ funds with MyEdSpace
MyEdSpace is preparing to launch for North Carolina families using their ESA+ scholarship.
While we're not yet an approved ESA+ vendor, we're actively working to meet NCSEAA's programme requirements so families can use their ESA+ funds on live, online math classes through MyEdSpace.
Once approved, you may be able to use ESA+ funds for:
- 2x live weekly lessons with expert math teacher Eddie Kang
- Every live lesson recorded and available to re-watch whenever and wherever, 24/7
- Bespoke workbooks for every lesson
- Targeted practice questions to reinforce knowledge
- Step-by-step video explanations for every topic
- 24/7 AI Math Coach for support between lessons
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