$8,148 toward private school, for every K-12 student in Iowa.
That is the 2026-27 Students First ESA, with no income test. It works at 34 of the 39 private schools we track around Des Moines. The half-year window for spring closes November 15.
Full-year ESA for 2026-27. Up from $7,988 last year. Paid each semester through Odyssey, tuition and fees first.
Accredited schools in the metro out of 39 we track. Accreditation is what the ESA requires; the other 5 cannot take it.
Half-year ESA deadline. $4,074 for a spring start; apply in the Odyssey portal by 11:59 p.m.
Top tuition and textbook credit per child on the Iowa return, on costs you pay yourself.
What does a Des Moines family still owe after an $8,148 ESA?
It depends on the school's price. Take an illustrative school charging $10,000 for one child:
Illustrative only: Iowa schools do not report tuition to the state, so the $10,000 figure is an example, not a quote. The ESA and credit rates are the published 2026-27 and 2025 tax-year rules. Run your own numbers →
The programs a Des Moines-area family can combine
The ESA, the half-year option, need-based STO grants, the state tax credit, free preschool, child care help, and the federal credit coming in 2027.
Students First Education Savings Account (ESA)
Iowa's Students First ESA, often called the Iowa school voucher, deposits $8,148 for 2026-27 into an Odyssey account for any Iowa K-12 student who attends an accredited nonpublic school full time. No income test applies.
Who qualifies →Window closes Nov 15Half-Year ESA (Spring 2027 Start)
New for 2026-27: families who move to an accredited private school for the spring semester can apply October 15 to November 15, 2026 for a $4,074 half-year ESA.
Who qualifies →Up to $500 per childIowa Tuition and Textbook Tax Credit
A state income tax credit of 25 percent of the first $2,000 a parent pays per child for tuition, textbooks and school fees, worth up to $500. It also works for homeschooling, but not for costs paid with ESA money.
Who qualifies →Need-based · ≤400% FPLSchool Tuition Organization (STO) Grants
Iowa's STOs collect donations that earn donors a 75 percent state tax credit and hand the money to families at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty guidelines as tuition grants at accredited nonpublic schools.
Who qualifies →Catholic schoolsCatholic Tuition Organization (Diocese of Des Moines)
The Diocese of Des Moines' STO, created in 2006, gave $2.7 million in tuition grants to 1,879 students across its 16 Catholic schools, according to its September 2026 report.
Who qualifies →New · 2027Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (Iowa, 2027)
Governor Reynolds opted Iowa into the new federal education tax credit on January 5, 2026. From 2027, donors get up to $1,700 back, dollar for dollar, for gifts to approved scholarship granting organizations.
Who qualifies →What can leftover ESA money buy in Iowa?
When tuition is below $8,148, or a balance carries over, the account can buy approved items through the Odyssey Marketplace. Each category has its own rule.
Laptops, desktops and tablets
Computers are an eligible ESA expense in Iowa. The catch is the order of spending, not a price list.
Rules →Eligible after tuitionTutoring and educational therapy
Educational therapies are one of the broadest eligible categories, and the provider's credential is what decides it.
Rules →Eligible with verificationTextbooks, curriculum and course materials
Textbooks and course materials are eligible, with paperwork when the purchase does not come through the school.
Rules →Eligible after tuitionExams, AP tests and vocational training
Testing and career training are written into the Iowa statute's list of qualified expenses.
Rules →Eligible with verificationMaterials and services for students with disabilities
Iowa has no separate disability award; this category is how the ESA supports students with disabilities.
Rules →Not eligibleWhat the Iowa ESA will not pay for
The ineligible list is long and specific; checking it first saves a rejected purchase.
Rules →Three steps with Des Moines Edu Funding
Answer five questions
Grade, the kind of school, where you live in the metro and when you want to start. No documents needed.
Get your funding map
An advisor lines up the ESA, any STO grant you may qualify for, the tax credit and preschool or child care help, with each deadline.
Enroll on time
We point you to accredited schools that fit and remind you of the Odyssey steps, so the money arrives before tuition is due.
39 private schools around Des Moines, checked against the state list
Grades, accreditor, federal enrollment figures and, most important, whether each school is on Iowa's accredited nonpublic list.
Catholic Schools
Parish K-8 schools and the Catholic high school in the Diocese of Des Moines, all on the state's accredited list.
13 schools →Christian Schools
Non-denominational, Lutheran, Adventist, Brethren and classical Christian schools in Polk, Dallas, Warren and Madison counties.
17 schools →Independent, Montessori & Specialty Schools
Nonsectarian schools in the federal survey, plus accredited schools whose state record names no faith tradition: progressive, Montessori, outdoor, leadership and alternative programs.
8 schools →High Schools (Grades 9-12)
Private schools in the four counties that run through grade 12.
12 schools →Private Schools With Pre-K
Private and parish schools whose federal survey record includes a pre-kindergarten class.
21 schools →By community: Ankeny · Urbandale & Johnston · West Des Moines · Des Moines: Downtown, Beaverdale, Drake & Waterbury · Des Moines: East Side · Des Moines: South Side · Norwalk & Indianola (Warren County) · Perry, Dallas Center & Winterset
Running or starting a school in central Iowa?
ESA money only reaches accredited schools. We list every school on the state record and help congregations understand the accreditation path before they open.
Can an Iowa Students First ESA pay for a new laptop?
Yes: laptops, desktops and tablets are eligible ESA purchases, with no dollar cap or replacement schedule published by the state, but only from money left after tuition and fees and only through the Odyssey Marketplace.
Printers and other computer accessories are not eligible, and neither are phones or game consoles. Because tuition is paid first, a laptop is realistic mainly when tuition is below $8,148 or a balance has carried over from an earlier year. Rules apply.
From the Des Moines Edu Funding blog
STO Grants, the Catholic Tuition Organization and the 2027 Federal Credit: Need-Based Aid on Top of the Iowa ESA
The ESA is universal; STO grants are need-based and stack with it. What Des Moines families below the 400% line should apply for this winter.
Read →Oct 26, 2026Where an Iowa ESA Works Around Des Moines: 34 Accredited Private Schools by Community
34 of 39 Des Moines-area private schools are on the state's accredited list. A community-by-community look, plus the five that are not.
Read →Oct 23, 2026The Iowa ESA and the Tuition and Textbook Credit: How the Math Works for Des Moines Families
Up to $500 per child on the Iowa return, but only on what the ESA did not pay. Worked examples for Polk County families.
Read →Quick answers for Des Moines families
How much is the Iowa ESA for a Des Moines student in 2026-27?
The Students First Education Savings Account is $8,148 for a full 2026-27 school year, or $4,074 for a student approved in the half-year window. The amount is the same for every grade and every county because it follows Iowa's per-pupil funding for public districts.
Is there an income limit for the Iowa ESA?
No. Since the 2025-26 school year every Iowa resident in kindergarten through 12th grade is eligible regardless of income, as long as the student attends an Iowa accredited nonpublic school full time.
Which Des Moines-area private schools take the ESA?
34 of the 39 private schools we track in Polk, Dallas, Warren and Madison counties are on the Iowa Department of Education's 2025-26 accredited nonpublic list, which is the requirement for ESA use. The directory marks every one.
Can I still apply for an ESA this school year?
Yes, until 11:59 p.m. on November 15, 2026. The half-year window that opened October 15 pays $4,074 for the spring semester, and enrollment and tuition must be confirmed in Odyssey by January 14, 2027.
Can the Iowa ESA pay for preschool or homeschooling?
No. The ESA covers kindergarten through grade 12 at accredited nonpublic schools only. Four-year-olds can use the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program, and homeschool families can claim the Iowa tuition and textbook credit.
See what your family can use this year
Two minutes, five questions. A School Funding Advisor calls back with your ESA, grant and credit options and the dates that apply.