Applications for Opportunity Scholarship open as enrollment surpasses 100k students

As the total number of students enrolled in the Opportunity Scholarship Program has risen to 104,599, applications are now open for families to apply for the 2026-2027 school year.

The priority application period runs from Feb. 2 until March 2, according to the NC Education Assistance Authority, the state agency responsible for overseeing the program.

Opportunity Scholarships, available to all K-12 students, are the state’s voucher program designed to enable families to choose a private education for their children. The program is available to all families regardless of income, but lower-income households are prioritized.

The NCSEAA has announced updated income guidelines and scholarship award amounts as well. Each scholarship is now valued at between $3,578 and $7,942 each year, spread across four income tier levels ranging from $61,050 for a family of four in the first tier to $274,725 a year in the fourth tier. Those figures are about a 2.6% increase from the prior year’s numbers.

“The new numbers for the Opportunity Scholarship suggest demand for the program is as strong as ever,” said Dr. Robert Luebke, director of the Center for Effective Education at the John Locke Foundation. “Families want educational options. And North Carolinians should be thankful for the program and lawmakers who have supported it and helped it grow. Never take a good thing for granted.”

The application period for the ESA+ program — designed for students with special needs — will also open during the same timeframe. Awards for ESA+ may be used at an eligible private school or for approved educational expenses, including for families who home school.

North Carolina lawmakers have also been working to make a new federal tax-credit scholarship a reality. The tax-credit program is part of the Big Beautiful Bill Act enacted by Congress in July and would allow NC taxpayers to make deductible contributions to designated Scholarship Granting Organizations (SSOs), which in turn would issue stipends to students for private school expenses, including tuition and other allowable costs. The measure was vetoed by Gov. Josh Stein and is pending an override vote in the state House.

A recent Carolina Journal poll of likely voters put support for the Opportunity Scholarship Program at 64% compared to 29% who are opposed.

“Applications for Opportunity Scholarship open as enrollment surpasses 100k students” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.