What pays first when a Des Moines family uses an ESA?
The Students First ESA. State law requires ESA money to go to tuition and fees before anything else, and Odyssey enforces it each semester.
Where do STO grants fit?
Next to the ESA, for families at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. The Diocese of Des Moines applies its Catholic Tuition Organization grants to tuition first and does not reduce them because a family has an ESA.
What about the gap that is left?
School aid and parish or church-member rates are the usual next layer. Whatever the family still pays out of pocket can earn the Iowa tuition and textbook credit: 25 percent of the first $2,000 per child, up to $500.
What if tuition is less than $8,148?
The remainder stays in the child's ESA for later years and can be spent through the Odyssey Marketplace on textbooks, a laptop or tablet, tutoring, educational therapy or exam fees.
| Layer | Pays for | Does not pay for |
|---|---|---|
| Students First ESA | Tuition and fees first, then approved Marketplace items | Uniforms, transportation, child care |
| STO grant | Tuition at the STO's member schools | Families above 400% of poverty |
| Tuition and textbook credit | 25% of up to $2,000 out of pocket per child | Costs paid with ESA money |
| Child Care Assistance | Aftercare and younger siblings' care | K-12 tuition |
What should we do next?
Take the two-minute funding check. An advisor confirms which of these sources fit your child and sends the dates that apply.