The ESA program was established by the Wyoming Education Savings Account Act in 2024, which was amended by the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act this year. The program allows eligible students to receive $7,000 annually for various educational expenses, including private school tuition, curriculum, tutoring, extracurricular activities, and other approved education-related costs. Contact wde-esa@wyo.gov with questions. Sign up to receive ESA Updates.

Supplemental Application Window
is Closed

Timeline

The application timeline is as follows:

  • October 27, 9:00 a.m. – Supplemental Application Window Opens.
  • October 29, 9:00 p.m. – Supplemental Application Window Closes.
  • October 30 through November 13 – Application Review Process.
  • November 16 – Approved Awaiting Opt-In Notification Posted to Student Account.
  • November 22 – Opt-In Deadline for Approved Applications.
  • December 10 – Funding of Student Accounts Begins with Q2 Allocation.

Notification of Approved Awaiting Opt-In will be sent via email. Parents must keep contact information current, especially their primary email address. Parents should update email filters (spam) to accept messages from the Wyoming ESA program at wde-esa@wyo.gov and help.wy@withodyssey.com. 

By choosing to opt into the ESA program, you will activate the effective date of the parent contract signed during the application process. For Approved applicants currently enrolled in a public school, Opting-In begins the 15-day unenrollment window/deadline. Parents have 15 calendar days to notify the school district of unenrollment.

Families receiving notification of Approved Awaiting Opt-In that do not Opt-In by the deadline of November 22 will be moved to Opted-Out and are not eligible to participate in the program for the 2026-27 school year.

The 2026-27 Supplemental ESA Program Application will complete the process of filling the available positions in the ESA Program for the 2026-27 school year. There will not be a waitlist. The waitlist process will resume with the 2027-28 application process.

Application Status

During the review process from October 30 through November 13, applications will be moved to Eligible or Ineligible. During this time, applications with Eligible status may change to Ineligible if the uploaded documentation fails verification. 

Beginning November 16, successful Eligible applications will be moved to Approved Awaiting Opt-In.

Status definitions are as follows:

  • Ineligible: This means the student does not qualify for the program based on the parameters listed above.
  • Eligible: This means the student qualifies for the program. Eligibility does not equal approval or funding for the program. One of the following statuses will apply to your application as a result of the final review:
    • Ineligible: This means that although the initial review indicated Eligible status, the uploaded documentation failed verification.
    • Approved Awaiting Opt-In: This means that you are a successful applicant and MUST Opt-In by November 22 to continue the approval process. 
    • Approved: This means that the student has opted into the program, public school unenrollment has been verified (if needed), and will be receiving funds.
    • Opt-Out: This means that the student has Opted-Out of the program and will not be receiving funds for the program year. All Approved Awaiting Opt-In applications not Opted-In by November 22 will be moved to Opt-Out status.

FAQ

The Wyoming Supreme Court recently lifted a lower court’s injunction, which means the state is officially authorized to move forward with the ESA program and distribute funds to families. The underlying case on the constitutionality of the program is still being litigated.

Yes, partially. Because the lifting of the injunction is not retroactive, full costs from the year cannot be reimbursed. However, the fourth quarter payment of $1,750 is eligible to be rolled over into the 2026-27 school year for those students previously approved in the ESA program and not enrolled in public school for the 2025-26 school year. 

Families will verify eligibility through completing the 2026-27 school year application. If your student was previously approved for 2025-26 and you did not explicitly unenroll them, your application information will prepopulate to verify or make any necessary changes. 

You can email WDE-ESA@wyo.gov for confirmation of your student’s enrollment status.

ESA Program funds can be utilized for eligible purchases through the Marketplace on the Odyssey platform. Four categories of expenses can be submitted for consideration for reimbursement:

  • K-12 curriculum that includes one or more of the required core content areas of reading, writing, math, civics, history, literature, or science. PK curriculum that includes instruction necessary for preparation to enter kindergarten.
  • Entrance or admission fees for students only into museums, educational facilities, zoos, historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural institutions, etc.
  • Transportation fees for service (travel to and from ESP via bus, taxi, Uber, Lyft, etc.).
  • Internet fees.

The broader lawsuit is still being litigated in district court. However, the Supreme Court’s ruling allows the program to proceed and make payouts while that legal process continues. While future legal outcomes cannot be predicted, the state is currently fully authorized to distribute these funds.

The ongoing litigation is focused on whether the state’s funding mechanism for the ESA program is constitutional.

There is no indication that participating parents or schools would be held personally liable for the repayment of properly disbursed funds if the law were to be overturned later on.

If you want to unenroll your student or have specific questions about changing your application status, email wde.esa@wyo.gov and help.wy@withodyssey.com.

Additional Updates

Program Withdrawal: If you are currently an eligible participant and plan to move from Wyoming or do not wish to continue participating in the program, please review this article for step-by-step instructions on how to complete the opt-out process. If you need additional assistance, please email help.wy@withodyssey.com and they can assist you.

Program Details

  • Q1: Early September 2026
  • Q2: Early November 2026
    • Q2 disbursements for approved October applications will be made on December 10.
  • Q3: Early February 2027
  • Q4: Early May 2027

  • Wyoming residents aged 4 years and in pre-k through grade 12.
  • Students not enrolled in a public school.

Additional qualifications for Pre-kindergarten students:

  • Eligible students can receive $7,000 annually, deposited into an ESA account for their educational expenses.

Families can use ESA funds for various education expenses, including:

  • Tuition and fees at a participating school;
  • Tutoring services;
  • Classes or extracurricular activities at a traditional public or public charter school;
  • Textbooks and curriculum;
  • Educational technology;
  • School uniforms;
  • Fees for summer education programs and after-school education;
  • Tuition and fees for nongovernmental online learning programs;
  • Educational therapies like behavioral or speech-language therapy;
  • Costs for college admission tests and AP exams;
  • For Fee Transportation costs to education service providers.

  • The WDE is developing a certification process to approve pre-k and non-public primary and secondary schools per the law.
  • A list of certified education service providers, including individuals, organizations, and schools, will be published on this website when available.

  • Parents must ensure their children receive instruction in core subjects and are assessed on academic progress through the state assessment or nationally norm referenced assessment.

Education Service Provider Application

The Wyoming Department of Education launched the Education Service Provider (ESP) application for service providers and vendors on April 1, 2025. An ESP Handbook and an FAQ document will help providers and schools navigate the program. Providers needing technical assistance with the application can email help.wy@withodyssey.com.

Contact
Rachel Bailey

ESA Program Manager

Parents