Families in the Cowboy State will soon have more funding options when it comes to K-12 education!
Wyoming has paved the way for educational empowerment with the expansion of the Wyoming Education Savings Account Act, now the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act. This revolutionary bill will create a private school choice program program called an education savings account (ESA) program. Launching this year, the program will provide eligible families the opportunity to receive ESAs amounting to up to $7,000 to fund private school tuition, homeschool expenses, and other personalized education expenses.
What is the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act?
The Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act is Wyoming’s first-ever ESA initiative, providing funding for K-12 education. Unlike regular scholarships, ESAs offer greater flexibility in utilizing the funds, as they can be applied to a wide range of educational expenses, including private school tuition, tutoring fees, college placement exams, after-school education programs, and more.
Under this new initiative, participating parents will receive up to $7,000 per year in an online account for their child’s education. This will enable families to use their ESA funds for eligible learning expenses of their choice. By providing this level of support, the program aims to make education more accessible and affordable for families across the state.
Wyoming is the first state to expand an education savings account program in 2025!
Who is eligible to apply for Wyoming’s ESA program?
Wyoming’s program will be open to all K-12 students in the state regardless of income. That means every family in the state is eligible for the program! Families with children not yet in kindergarten can benefit from the program, too. Families with children in Pre-K are eligible for the program if their household income is at or below 250% of the federal poverty level (approximately $78,000 for a family of four).
To be eligible, students must be at least 4 years-old by August 1 of the year in which an ESA application is submitted.
Can homeschoolers participate in the program?
Families who are currently homeschooling can choose to participate in the ESA program and continue to educate their children at home. While their daily schooling experience may not look much different than traditional homeschooling, it is important to note that they will need to meet some requirements not mandated for other homeschoolers in the state. No homeschooler is required to participate in the program; families can choose either way!
It’s important for homeschooling families considering the program to know that students must receive instruction in several key subjects, including reading, writing, mathematics, civics (which includes studies of the United States Constitution and the Wyoming state constitution), history, literature, and science. Additionally, participating students are required to be assessed on their academic progress each year. However, parents are not obligated to include any instruction that conflicts with their own religious beliefs.
What are eligible expenses?
Wyoming’s new ESA can be used for at least 16 different uses! Some of these eligible expenses include:
- Tuition and fees at a participating school
- Tutoring services (as long as the tutoring is not provided by a student’s immediate family);
- Classes or extracurricular activities at a traditional public or public charter school;
- Online classes and curriculum;
- Textbooks and curriculum;
- Educational technology;
- School uniforms; fees for summer education programs and after-school education;
- Educational therapies like behavioral or speech-language therapy;
- Costs for college admission tests and AP exams
- Transportation costs to education service providers.
A wide range of expenses are eligible under Wyoming’s ESA program, making it one of the most flexible in the country. Additionally, Wyoming’s ESA legislation states that the state superintendent has the authority to approve other educational expenses that do not strictly fit into one of the categories but fit within the spirit of the law.
When does Wyoming’s Steamboat Legacy Scholarship program begin?
Wyoming’s ESA program is set to launch for the 2025-2026 school year! The first phase of the application window opened on January 1. Be sure to mark your calendars, as the second phase of the application window will begin on May 15. For more information, visit Wyoming’s Department of Education website.
How can families apply for and use the ESA?
Families interested in participating in the Wyoming Steamboat Legacy Scholarship may now visit Wyoming’s Department of Education to apply for phase one of the 2025-2026 school year ESA application.
Phase one of the application requires interested families to complete a basic information form for contact regarding phase two in May. During phase two, you will receive an email to submit additional documentation.
As long as families remain eligible and do not withdraw from the ESA program, funds will be deposited quarterly into their ESA online account.
Families may be permitted to receive a partial payment of tuition or fees early if the education service provider (such as a private school or public charter school) requires it before the school year starts. The amount would be deducted from their next quarterly ESA deposit.
Wyoming’s ESA is quite flexible but does come with basic accountability requirements. For example, it requires parents who participate in the ESA program to ensure that their children are instructed in reading, writing, math, civics (including the study of the U.S. Constitution and Wyoming state constitution), history, literature, and science, at minimum.
It’s good to note that families who withdraw from the ESA and enroll full-time in public schools should notify the superintendent, who may close the ESA.
As Wyoming’s new ESA program is set up, we expect to see more information soon. Stay tuned for updates!
Other school choice options in Wyoming
In addition to the ESA program, Wyoming families have a range of educational choices, including traditional public schools, private schools, online learning, homeschooling, microschooling and mix-and-match learning. Charter school is another option for families located in Riverton, Laramie, Chugwater, and Cheyenne.
Learn more
Wyoming has become the fifteenth state to pass an education savings account and the first to expand an education savings account program in 2025. Across the country, more than 90,000 students use ESAs to customize their learning. While Wyoming’s program shares some of the features and flexibility of other states’ programs, it also has unique features of its own! Other states that expanded choice programs in 2023 include Iowa, Florida, Utah, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, and South Carolina.
As Wyoming’s new ESA program is set up, we expect to see more information soon. Stay tuned for further updates! For now, families can visit families can check out Wyoming’s ESA Information Hub for more information on participation requirements, qualifications, updates, and more.
To learn more, families can visit the Wyoming State Department of Education and Private School Review: Wyoming.
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