State Education Funding Deadlines Calendar: 2026-27 Dates and What to Watch For in 2027-28
A dated calendar of state education funding deadlines for parents: application windows for ESAs, vouchers and scholarships in Iowa, Utah, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Maryland, Florida PEP, Montana and more, which windows are open now, how the cycle usually runs and how to prepare for 2027-28. Last verified October 2026.
Quick answer: Most state education savings account (ESA), voucher and scholarship programs take applications once a year, usually between December and June for the following school year. For 2026-27, windows ranged from Alabama’s CHOOSE Act (renewals from December 15, 2025, new families from January 2, both closing March 31, 2026) to Arkansas’s Education Freedom Accounts (March 9 to June 1, 2026). As of late October 2026, Iowa’s half-year Students First ESA window is open from October 15 to November 15, 2026. Many programs have not yet announced 2027-28 dates, so sign up for official updates and check each administrator’s page in early winter.
Missing a deadline is one of the most common, and most costly, mistakes families make with state education funding. Several programs open for only a few weeks, some award by lottery or first come, first served, and renewing families often have to act earlier than new applicants. This calendar gathers the dates we have verified from official program pages, in one place, so you can plan ahead.
For an overview of how each type of program works, start with our guide to state education funding programs. Each state’s details are covered in its own guide.
Sources: dates are drawn from official administrator pages and announcements cited in our state guides, including the Iowa Department of Education (Students First ESA calendar), Utah Education Fits All FAQ, the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program site, the Office of the Governor of Alabama (December 3, 2025 announcement), the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Louisiana Department of Education, the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority, the Maryland State Department of Education BOOST guide, Step Up For Students and the Montana Office of Public Instruction; IRS guidance on the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit. Dates change every year. Always confirm on the official page before relying on any date. Last verified October 2026.
How the Annual Cycle Usually Works
Although every state sets its own rules, most programs follow a similar rhythm:
- Late fall to winter: the administrator announces dates for the next school year, often with an updated handbook.
- Winter: renewal windows open for families already in the program, sometimes with sibling priority.
- Winter to spring: new applications open, sometimes for only a few weeks.
- Spring: windows close; lotteries or priority reviews follow.
- Late spring to summer: awards are announced and families accept, choose a school and complete enrollment paperwork.
- Summer to fall: first payments are made to accounts or schools.
A few programs, such as Iowa’s, add a mid-year window. Tax-credit scholarship programs run through private scholarship organizations often set their own dates, so check with each organization.
Open Right Now (Late October 2026)
Iowa Students First ESA: half-year window
The Iowa Department of Education’s 2026-27 calendar lists a half-year application window opening October 15, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. and closing November 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Key dates from the department:
- residency must be established by November 15, 2026 for a half-year ESA;
- spring funds become available December 1, 2026;
- January 14, 2027 is the half-year enrollment and spring tuition payment deadline; and
- January 15, 2027 is when half-year eligibility is finalized.
A half-year ESA is $4,074 for 2026-27. The half-year window was created by House File 2754, signed May 12, 2026. Full details are in our Iowa education funding guide.
Utah Carson Smith Scholarship rolling reviews
Utah’s Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship, a tax-credit scholarship for students with disabilities administered by the Children First Education Fund, reviews applications on a rolling schedule. According to the fund’s scholarship page, approvals by October 15, 2026 are funded the week of November 2, and approvals by December 15, 2026 are funded the week of January 4, 2027.
Montana special needs ESA: check before you plan
Montana’s Office of Public Instruction lists two yearly ESA application windows, May 1 to June 1 and November 1 to December 1. However, the program was enjoined by a district court in December 2025 and the appeal was pending as of October 2026, so families should check OPI’s page before assuming the November window will open.
The 2026-27 Calendar at a Glance
The table below summarizes 2026-27 application windows that have already closed, so you can see when each program ran last time. Expect the 2027-28 dates to be similar but not identical.
| State and program | 2026-27 application window | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama CHOOSE Act ESA | Renewals opened Dec. 15, 2025; new families Jan. 2, 2026; both closed March 31, 2026 | Award notices scheduled April 15, 2026; funds from July 1, 2026 |
| North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship and ESA+ | Priority period for new students Feb. 2 to March 2, 2026 (5:00 p.m.) | Run by NCSEAA |
| Texas Education Freedom Accounts | Feb. 4 to March 31, 2026 | Interest list open for 2027-28 |
| Louisiana LA GATOR | March 1 to March 16, 2026 | Returning families who did not renew by March 16 lost eligibility for 2026-27 |
| Utah Fits All | March 1 (renewals and siblings), April 1 (new students), closed May 1, 2026 | Decisions within 30 days; accept before July 1 |
| Maryland BOOST | March 9 to May 8, 2026 | Awards sent October to December 2026 |
| Arkansas Education Freedom Accounts | March 9 to June 1, 2026 | Later applications may be considered pending funding |
| Florida PEP (Step Up For Students) | Closed April 30, 2026 | Learning plan due May 31, 2026 |
| Iowa Students First ESA (full year) | April 16 to June 30, 2026 | Half-year window Oct. 15 to Nov. 15, 2026 |
State-by-State Notes
Alabama
Governor Kay Ivey’s office announced the 2026-27 CHOOSE Act dates on December 3, 2025: the renewing family portal opened December 15, 2025, the new family portal opened January 2, 2026, and both closed March 31, 2026. New families needed household income at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level. The 2027-28 dates had not been announced when we last checked. If the state follows the same pattern, an announcement in late 2026 is possible. See our Alabama education funding guide.
North Carolina
The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority’s January 2026 announcement said the priority period for new 2026-27 Opportunity Scholarship and ESA+ applicants ran from February 2 to 5:00 p.m. on March 2, 2026. Watch for a similar announcement in early 2027.
Texas
Texas’s new Education Freedom Accounts held their first application window from February 4 to March 31, 2026. Funding for private school students arrives in installments: 25 percent on July 1, 2026, 25 percent on October 1, 2026 and 50 percent on February 1, 2027, while homeschool and other students received 100 percent on July 1, 2026. Families who missed the first window can join the program’s 2027-28 interest list. Read more in our Texas education funding guide.
Louisiana
The Louisiana Department of Education accepted LA GATOR applications from 9 a.m. March 1 to 11:59 p.m. March 16, 2026. That short window is one of the tightest on this calendar, so Louisiana families should watch for the 2027-28 announcement in late winter.
Utah
According to the Utah Education Fits All FAQ, Utah Fits All follows a schedule set in law: March 1 for renewing students and siblings, April 1 for new students and May 1 to close. Families receive a decision within 30 days of the deadline and must accept before July 1. Homeschool families must also submit a portfolio or assessment results by May 31 to keep eligibility. Because the schedule is fixed by statute, these dates are the most predictable on this list. See our Utah education funding guide.
Maryland
The Maryland State Department of Education ran the 2026-27 BOOST parent application from March 9 to May 8, 2026, after a nonpublic school application period in February. Eligibility results were set for August 2026 and awards for October to December 2026.
Arkansas
The Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education listed March 9 to June 1, 2026 as the application and renewal period for Education Freedom Accounts, through the FACTS portal. DESE said applications submitted after June 29, 2026 might be considered later, pending available funding.
Florida
Step Up For Students said applications for the 2026-27 Personalized Education Program (PEP) closed April 30, 2026, and the student learning plan was due May 31, 2026. For Step Up’s private school scholarships, a scholarship funding organization page for AAA Scholarships said 2026-27 applications opened February 1, 2026. Families can sign up for 2027-28 updates on Step Up’s site.
Iowa
Iowa runs two windows. The full-year 2026-27 window ran from April 16 to June 30, 2026, and the half-year window runs from October 15 to November 15, 2026. Tuition must be paid through the ESA portal by September 30, 2026 for full-year participants and January 14, 2027 for half-year participants.
The Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Calendar
A new federal date matters for families in many states. The IRS explains that beginning January 1, 2027, individuals may claim a Federal Scholarship Tax Credit of up to $1,700 for certain cash contributions to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) in states that elect to participate. As of the IRS list updated October 22, 2026, 30 states had elected to participate. Because SGOs will collect and award these funds, expect new scholarship application windows to appear during 2027 in participating states. Watch your state’s SGO announcements.
How to Stay Ahead of Deadlines
- Sign up for official updates. Texas, Florida’s Step Up For Students and other administrators offer email lists or interest forms.
- Mark the announcement season. Many programs announce dates in December or January. Add a reminder to check each official page then.
- Prepare documents early. Gather proof of residency, birth certificates, the prior year’s tax return for income-based programs and any IEP or evaluation for disability-based programs before the window opens.
- Renew on time. Renewing families often have earlier deadlines or lose priority if late, as Louisiana’s March 16 renewal rule shows.
- Track post-award deadlines. Acceptance, school selection, learning plans and tuition payments all have their own dates.
Our step-by-step guide on how to apply for an education savings account walks through documents and portals in more detail.
A Month-by-Month Planning Guide
Based on the 2026-27 cycle, here is a general planning guide. Treat it as a pattern, not a promise of future dates.
- October to November: Iowa half-year window; Montana’s fall window if the program is operating; start checking for next-year announcements.
- December: Alabama opened renewals in December 2025; watch for new handbooks and announcements.
- January: Alabama opened new applications; North Carolina announced its priority period.
- February: Florida scholarship applications opened; Texas and North Carolina windows opened.
- March: Louisiana, Utah, Maryland and Arkansas windows opened; Alabama, North Carolina, Texas and Louisiana windows closed.
- April: Utah opened for new students; Iowa’s full-year window opened; Florida PEP closed.
- May: Utah and Maryland closed.
- June: Arkansas and Iowa full-year windows closed.
- July: first payments arrived in many programs, including Alabama, Texas and Iowa.
Common Questions Families Ask
What if I missed the deadline?
Some programs offer late or mid-year options, such as Iowa’s half-year window, Arkansas’s possible later review pending funding or rolling tax-credit scholarships. Others, such as Louisiana’s GATOR window, are firm. Ask the administrator directly.
Do renewals happen automatically?
Usually not. Most programs require an annual renewal or reverification, sometimes before new applications open.
Are lotteries common?
Some programs use lotteries or priority tiers when applications exceed funding, including Utah Fits All and North Carolina’s programs. Eligibility does not guarantee an award.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do most state education savings account applications open?
For 2026-27, most windows opened between December and April, with the earliest renewals in December 2025 and most new-applicant windows between January and March 2026.
Is any state education funding application open now?
As of late October 2026, Iowa’s half-year Students First ESA window is open from October 15 to November 15, 2026.
When will 2027-28 application dates be announced?
Many states announce dates in late fall or winter. Check each official administrator page and sign up for updates.
What happens if I miss a deadline?
It depends on the program. Some offer later or mid-year options, but many windows are firm, and missing them can mean waiting a full year.
When does the federal scholarship tax credit start?
January 1, 2027, in states that elect to participate, for donations to Scholarship Granting Organizations.
The Bottom Line
Deadlines decide who gets funding as much as eligibility rules do. Use this calendar to see when your state’s program ran last year, set reminders for the announcement season, keep your documents ready and renew on time. Then confirm every date on the official program page, because dates and rules change every year. We update this calendar as new dates are announced.
