How much is the Iowa Students First ESA for a Des Moines student in 2026-27?
$8,148 for a full school year, or $4,074 for a student approved in the half-year window that opened October 15, 2026. The figure is the same in Ankeny, Indianola or Perry, because it is tied to Iowa's per-pupil funding for public districts rather than to a county or grade.
It has gone up in each of the last two years: $7,826 in 2024-25, $7,988 in 2025-26 and $8,148 now.
Who qualifies for an ESA in Polk, Dallas, Warren and Madison counties?
Any Iowa resident in kindergarten through 12th grade who attends an Iowa accredited nonpublic school full time, meaning at least 75 percent of that school's full-time schedule. Since 2025-26 there is no household income test.
Preschool is not covered, and a school that is not on the state's accredited nonpublic list cannot receive ESA money. Starting in fall 2026, residency is checked against a parent's 2025 Iowa tax return plus a government-issued ID.
How does the ESA money move from Odyssey to the school?
Odyssey, the state's contracted administrator, holds the account. The school enters tuition and fees in the portal, the parent confirms them, and the money is paid each semester before anything else can be bought.
Fall funds for full-year students opened July 15, 2026; spring deposits open December 1, 2026. Whatever is left after tuition stays in the account for later years and is returned to the state when the student graduates or turns 20.
How many Des Moines-area private schools can take the ESA?
34 of the 39 private schools in our four-county data appear on the Iowa Department of Education's 2025-26 list of accredited nonpublic buildings, which is the test for ESA use. The other 5 are small schools or preschools without Iowa accreditation.
Statewide, 41,044 students were using an ESA at an accredited nonpublic school on the October 1, 2025 count.
What Students First Education Savings Account is and isn't
| It is | It isn't |
|---|---|
| A per-student account managed in Odyssey | A check mailed to the family |
| Usable at Iowa accredited nonpublic schools | Usable for homeschooling or an unaccredited school |
| Open to every K-12 Iowa resident regardless of income | Available for preschool |
| Spent on tuition and fees first | Spendable on uniforms, transportation or child care |