Montana

Montana Special Needs Equal Opportunity Education Savings Account Program

  • Education Savings Account (ESA)
  • Enacted 2023
  • Launched 2024

Each ESA is funded from part of the state and local funds allocated for a student at their local public school. The eligible ESA value is calculated by a combination of factors under the state’s BASE aid and dependent upon the student’s resident district. Estimated values for elementary students fall between $5,000 and $6,000 annually, while high school students have estimated awards between $6,400 and $8,000 annually. The Education Savings Account is a reimbursement program for eligible expenses. Families work directly with the Office of Public Instruction for reimbursement after submission of eligible expense receipts. Parents may request reimbursement monthly. Equal Opportunity Education Savings Accounts are connected to Montana’s funding formula, and any Montana student who is eligible to participate may receive funding.

We do not administer this program.  

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  • 12%

    Students Eligible Statewide

  • $6,000

    (Elementary), $6,400-8,000 (High School) Initial Account Value

  • 65%

    Account Value as a Percentage of Public School Per-Student Spending

Student Funding

Use of Funds

Qualifying expenses for education savings accounts include tuition and fees; software; online programs and tutoring; distance learning; curriculum and supplemental materials; educational therapies and services; standardized test fees (plus college entrance); unbundled courses at public school; $50 for consumables (such as paper and pens); transportation; college tuition; books; and fees to education co-op. Funds roll over each year until the student’s 24th birthday.

Funding Amount and Source

Each ESA is funded from part of the state and local funds allocated for a student at their local public school. The eligible ESA value is calculated by a combination of factors under the state’s BASE aid and dependent upon the student’s resident district. Estimated values for elementary students fall between $5,000 and $6,000 annually, while high school students have estimated awards between $6,400 and $8,000 annually. The Education Savings Account is a reimbursement program for eligible expenses. Families work directly with the Office of Public Instruction for reimbursement after submission of eligible expense receipts. Parents may request reimbursement monthly. Equal Opportunity Education Savings Accounts are connected to Montana’s funding formula, and any Montana student who is eligible to participate may receive funding.

Student Eligibility

To qualify, students must have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and be identified as having special needs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) definition of a “child with a disability.” This definition includes students with autism; an intellectual disability; a hearing or visual impairment; a speech or language impairment; a serious emotional disturbance; an orthopedic impairment; a traumatic brain injury; another health impairment and/or a specific learning disability. Qualified students must also be Montana state residents between ages 5 and 19, and must have attended public school in the previous school year, or be newly eligible to attend public school in Montana, or have been enrolled in the previous school year at a school for juvenile corrections or the deaf and blind.

(Last updated July 15, 2024)

EdChoice Expert Feedback

Montana’s ESA program for students with special needs could help thousands of students access schools that are the right fit for them, but policymakers could do much more to expand educational opportunity.  Eligibility for the ESA is limited to students in grades K–12 with a disability. Roughly one in 10 of Montana’s students are eligible for a scholarship and less than 1 percent of students statewide actually use one of Montana’s educational choice programs (including the Tax Credits for Contributions to Student Scholarship Organizations).  To expand access to educational choice, Montana policymakers should expand eligibility to all students. Montana’s ESA program generally avoids unnecessary and counterproductive regulations.  (Last updated December 18, 2023) 

Rules and Regulations

Program Guidelines

  • Income Limit: None
  • Prior Year Public School Requirement: Conditional
  • Testing Mandates: None
  • Enrollment Cap: None
  • Budget Cap: None
  • Account Value:  BASE Aid Calculation; Estimated $6,000 for Elementary and $8,000 for High School
  • Special Needs Pathway: Pathway

Participant and Family Guidelines

  • Click Here for the Program Administrator’s Parent Handbook
  • Education Requirements: Ensure participating student receives an education in the same subjects required of public schools from school
  • Parent Supplemented Funds/Scholarships: Allowed
  • Disbursement/Payment Frequency: Reimbursement, monthly as requested
  • Reimbursement Allowed: Yes
  • Miscellaneous:
    • Submit copies of receipts to superintendent of public instruction
    • Notify superintendent of public instruction if the student re-enrolls in public schools
    • Attend regularly if enrolled at qualified school
    • Comply with school’s published policies
    • Release district school from any and all obligations to education participating student

Education Provider Guidelines

  • Accreditation/Approval: Meets all state requirements for nonpublic schools
  • Employment Standards: All teachers and staff with unsupervised contact with students must undergo a background check
  • Nondiscrimination: Comply with state and federal nondiscrimination laws
  • Calendar/Curriculum/Attendance:
    • Provides instruction in the subjects required of public schools
    • Maintains records of pupil attendance and immunization
    • Provides the minimum aggregate hours of public instruction required of public schools
  • Miscellaneous:
    • Complies with local health and safety regulations
    • Complies with any local requirements for an occupancy permit

(Last updated December 12, 2024)

Governing Statutes

Mont. Code Ann. §§ 20-7-1701 – 1710 

(Last updated July 15, 2024)