Louisiana Creates New Education Savings Account, the LA GATOR Program

The Pelican State’s K-12 educational opportunities are expanding!

Louisiana has taken a significant step forward in providing better educational opportunities by enacting the Louisiana Giving All True Opportunity to Rise Scholarship (LA GATOR) Program (named after the official state reptile). This groundbreaking bill establishes a new private school choice program known as an Education Savings Account (ESA), which parents can use for private school tuition, homeschooling expenses, and other personalized educational costs.

What is the LA GATOR Program?

The LA GATOR program is set to become the state’s first education savings account (ESA) program. An ESA provides funding for a student’s K-12 education. Unlike a private school choice scholarship program, ESAs offer greater flexibility in utilizing the funds, as they can typically be applied to a wide range of educational expenses, including private school tuition, tutoring fees, college placement exams, after-school education programs, and more.

The LA GATOR program will replace an existing school voucher program, known as the Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program. The Educational Excellence Program will be in effect until the end of the 2024-2025 school year. After June 30, 2025, the program will be discontinued.

The new LA GATOR ESAs will offer funding annually for eligible students. Students with special needs and children from low-income families may receive higher scholarship amounts. However, the state’s board of education will soon determine account values, so be on the lookout for updates.

Who is eligible to apply for the LA GATOR program?

Initially giving priority to low-income families, children with disabilities, kindergarteners, and students transitioning from public schools, the ESA program will gradually expand eligibility over three years:

Phase 1: Available to students participating in  the Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Voucher Program, incoming kindergarteners, students switching from public schools, and those from families earning up to 250% of the federal poverty line ($78,000 annually for a family of four).

Phase 2: Eligibility expands to include families earning up to 400% of the federal poverty line ($124,800 annually for a family of four), with criteria otherwise unchanged.

Phase 3: Open to all K-12 students across Louisiana!

Louisiana is joining alongside eleven other states that are establishing a private school choice program accessible to all students. 

What are eligible educational expenses for the LA GATOR program?

The LA GATOR program lays out nine different categories of educational expenses, including:

• Tuition or fees for a nonpublic school, service provider, or online learning program
• Curriculum 
• Textbooks
• Tuition, fees, instructional materials, and examination fees at a career or technical school
• Costs for college admission tests and AP exams
• Education services for students with disabilities from a licensed or accredited practitioner
• Dual enrollment tuition and fees
• Transportation
• Any other educational expenses approved by the State Board of Education.

Homeschooling and hybrid learning families may also use the LA GATOR program for home-based learning curriculum and materials or part home-based, private, or public school-based learning. It’s good to note that a standardized assessment, a nationally norm-referenced achievement test, or a nationally recognized aptitude assessment is required to participate in the LA GATOR program. 

Families using their ESAs have a variety of options, including private, online, and homeschool choices, as well as public schools!

It’s worth noting that the State Board of Education will collect this data and other data, such as the graduation rates of participating students, to evaluate the program.

When will the LA GATOR program be available?

Louisiana’s new education savings account program is set to launch in August 2025 for students from low-income families, students with disabilities, students entering kindergarten, and students seeking to transfer out of public school. After phase two, it will become open to families of all income levels!

How will families apply for and use the LA GATOR ESA?

The Louisiana State Board of Education will establish a system for parents to apply for the LA GATOR program. It will also set up a way for parents to use an online system to send money from their accounts to schools and service providers for educational expenses. Parents will also be able to share their opinions and information about the schools and service providers they use.

It’s important to note that when parents submit an application for an education savings account, they will have to adhere to the following established rules: 

1. Ensure that the participating student receives education in subjects such as English language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science.

2. Utilize the account funds exclusively for qualified education expenses.

3. Adhere to all program requirements.

Students who participate in the ESA program, whether they choose a private school, homeschool, or online learning, are required to take a standardized assessment, a nationally norm-referenced achievement test, or a nationally recognized aptitude assessment of their school’s choice. Students with disabilities may be exempt from this testing requirement.

The new ESA program in Louisiana is being established and is expected to go into effect in August 2025. As the program is set up, more information about it and the application process for families will become available. Stay tuned for further updates!

In the meantime, parents should…

The new scholarship program in Louisiana is still being developed, which means there might be updates before its official launch. If families want to be fully prepared for any school choice program launch, there are a few important things parents should consider.

Before starting any application, parents should: 

Review the list of participating schools and providers and assess whether they can cater to your children’s needs. Ask about the availability of slots at these schools and providers. This list will be available shortly before the application window opens in 2025.

Get familiar with the eligibility requirements and ensure that you fulfill all of them, including residency, the beneficiary’s age, and income restrictions.

Estimate your child’s future education expenses, considering factors such as tuition, fees, books, supplies, and other related costs.

Stay updated about any announcements or updates regarding the launch of the state program by subscribing to newsletters, following relevant government agencies or organizations on social media, and regularly checking official websites for updates.

Gather any required documentation for you and your children, such as proof of residency, identification documents, and social security numbers.

Other private school choice options in Louisiana

Louisiana offers a variety of school scholarships and choice opportunities. Families with incomes below a certain level can qualify for tax-credit scholarships, funded by private donations, which served over 2,400 students in the state in 2021. Additionally, Louisiana currently has two voucher programs, one of which is specifically for students with special needs.

What sets these choice options apart from the LA GATOR Program is that the LA GATOR program is more flexible for customizing their child’s learning.

It’s important to note that students cannot participate in these programs and the new ESA program simultaneously.

In addition to private school choice options, Louisiana families have a range of educational choices, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools,  online learning, homeschooling, and microschooling and mix-and-match learning.

What else is changing?

Besides passing the LA GATOR program, Louisiana has made significant strides in promoting educational options for all students during this legislative session. Take a look below at the other expansions happening across the state:

Charter Schools Expansions

Louisiana has revised its charter school law to grant new charter schools an extended period to establish themselves before their initial review, allowing them to create effective methods to meet the diverse needs of students.

Tutoring and Learning Intervention Program Expansions

Louisiana has expanded the Learning Intervention Program for early learners to include mathematics, previously focused primarily on reading. This expansion will provide additional resources for parents and guardians to support their children’s learning.

Homeschooling Expansions

Louisiana has also made it easier for homeschooling families to engage in activities outside of the home, such as participating in public school extracurricular activities.

In addition to these expansions, families can now enroll their children in courses offered at another school in their area if their current school of choice does not offer them. These expansions demonstrate Louisiana’s commitment to providing every student with access to educational choices and diverse learning opportunities.

Where to learn more

Louisiana became the fourth state to enact or launch an ESA in 2024, joining 17 others that have either implemented or are in the process of implementing an education savings account program. Additionally, it is the twelfth state set to expand educational choices to all K-12 students, following Alabama earlier this year.

Just under half a million (more than 470,000) students nationwide use ESAs to personalize their education. While Louisiana’s program shares similarities and flexibility with other states, it also has its own unique features! Other states that enacted or expanded choice programs in 2024 include Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming. If you’d like to learn more about Louisiana’s new ESA program, you can keep an eye out for updates at the Louisiana Department of Education, ACE Scholarship, and Private School Review: Louisiana.