What is the Indiana Education Scholarship Account?
The ESA is Indiana's education savings account for students with disabilities: instead of paying one school, the state funds an account the parent spends with approved providers. For 2026-27 a student with a disability can receive up to $20,000 and a brother or sister up to $8,000.
The base is 90% of the state funding for the student's home district, the same figure that drives the Choice award, plus 100% of the special education funding the student's service plan would have sent to a public school. That second piece is why ESA awards for students with intensive needs climb well above the voucher.
Who runs the ESA in 2026-27 and how is it paid?
The Indiana Department of Education runs it for the first time in 2026-27, taking it over from the Treasurer of State. Families still apply through Access Indiana, and money still moves through ClassWallet, in quarterly deposits in August, October, December and February.
Up to $1,000 left unspent at the end of 2026-27 can roll forward from July 2027. Providers must be approved; IDOE's August 31, 2026 provider sheet lists 267 non-CSA providers with addresses in the metro's main towns, 55 of them schools.
When is the ESA application for Indianapolis families?
The 2026-27 window ran from March 1 to September 1, 2026, with a priority period through April 15 for returning students, then new students with disabilities and siblings, first come, first served. The program fills: in 2024-25 every one of its $10 million was spent, serving 862 students and 156 siblings.
If you missed 2026-27, the next application traditionally opens March 1. Get an evaluation or an Indiana IEP in place before then, because no plan means no ESA.
Can an ESA student also attend a public school?
Not as an enrolled resident student. An ESA student may buy individual classes or activities from a public school that agrees, but being counted on the public school's resident enrollment breaks the ESA agreement and can require repayment.
The same student cannot hold a Choice Scholarship at the same time; the ESA replaces it. For a child whose services cost more than tuition, the ESA is usually the larger number.
| Education Scholarship Account | Choice Scholarship | |
|---|---|---|
| Who controls spending? | Parent, through ClassWallet | School receives it |
| Maximum in 2026-27 | Up to $20,000 (sibling up to $8,000) | $6,395 to $7,456 in this metro |
| Pays therapies and tutors? | Yes, from approved providers | No |
| Needs an Indiana IEP, SP or CSEP? | Yes | No |
| Application | Parent, March 1 to Sept 1 (2026) | School, after enrollment |