NC Opportunity Scholarship: FAQ for Private School Leaders

NC Opportunity Scholarship funds are transferred electronically to a participating school of a selected family’s choosing. Students with an Opportunity Scholarship must attend a school that accepts direct payments, set up through a voided check or bank memo to the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA).

The NCSEAA website does not indicate any tuition restrictions. However, all schools that participate in the Opportunity Scholarship program are required to submit a tuition and fee schedule annually.

Yes, according to NCSEAA, Opportunity Scholarship award offer notifications will be provided in late April. The Opportunity Scholarship application for the 2024-2025 school year will open on Feb. 1, 2024.

First priority is given to students who received a scholarship the previous year. Beginning in late January, families who received funding the previous school year will receive an offer to renew their child’s scholarship, and they have until Oct. 1 to renew. Then, new NC Opportunity Scholarship applications received by March 1 are prioritized, with eligible applications assigned an award tier based on household size and income. It’s important to note that scholarships are awarded per student. 

In the 2022-2023 school year alone, more than 25,000 students were awarded funding, with additional families on wait lists. You can get an idea of the number of students receiving scholarships and total award amounts in your county by viewing NCSEAA’s data map.

Though additional conditions may need to be met in certain cases, these are the most common requirements for all independent schools participating in the NC Opportunity Scholarship program.

• Tuition and Fee Schedule: All schools that participate in the Opportunity Scholarship program are required to submit a tuition and fee schedule annually, due by June 30 for new schools or July 15 for returning schools, regardless of whether they will have program recipients enrolled in their school for the year in which the schedule is being requested. 
  
  
• Test Scores: Direct Payment Schools that received funding for students in third grade or higher will need to submit test scores for the previous year by July 15. Schools with 25 or more scholarship recipients will also need to submit an aggregate report.
  
  
• Graduation Data: Schools must report which Opportunity Scholarship recipients completed the requirements for a high school diploma or its equivalent at the end of each school year by July 15.
  
  
• Financial Review: All schools enrolling 70 or more students who use scholarship funds for at least one semester during the academic year must contract with a Certified Public Accountant to perform a financial review, consistent with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. The financial review must be submitted within 120 days of the end of your school’s fiscal year.

Original Opportunity Scholarship legislation included a statement in the General Statutes indicating that Opportunity Scholarship monies were not considered as accepting money from the state, according to Education Specialist and former Executive Director of the North Carolina Christian School Association, Joe Haas, Ed.D. That said, schools may be required to meet certain regulations as a condition of receiving Opportunity Scholarship monies. Currently, requirements for a school’s participation in the program are specific to tuition and fee schedules, test scores, graduation data, and financial review, as outlined above.

While we can’t make predictions of future requirements, factors that could have an impact on this might include the state’s legislative priorities, public opinion, and educational policy developments. To stay updated on any potential changes to the program’s requirements, regularly check official sources like the North Carolina Division of Nonpublic Education, or consult with relevant state authorities or education advocacy groups.

While the NC Opportunity Scholarship program provides eligible K-12 families with private school tuition vouchers, unused funds from one year can carry over to the next for scholarship use. If not spent within one fiscal year, the monies revert back to the General Fund.

Beginning in the 2024–2025 school year, NC Opportunity Scholarship funding will be appropriated at $191,540,000. In 2025-2026, funding increases to $415,540,000, rising annually by $15,000,000 through 2032, with $520,540,000 projected beginning in the 2032-2033 fiscal year and for each one thereafter.

While families may qualify for Opportunity Scholarship funding, they must still undergo a school’s admissions process. Qualifying for the Opportunity Scholarship does not guarantee enrollment in a school. Additionally, continued enrollment is dependent on the endorsement of both the school and the family.

Yes, the ESA+ program is designed for families of students with disabilities who require special education as documented by a North Carolina public school IEP eligibility determination. ESA+ each eligible child $9,000 in annual funding, and up to $17,000 a year in some cases based on specific disability. Funds may be used to pay tuition and fees for eligible private schools and for expenses such as tutoring services, educational technology, and speech therapy.