CHOOSE Act: What Can I Buy With My Alabama ESA Funds?

Curriculum and Textbooks

Core curriculum packages, textbooks, workbooks, reference books, and instructional kits are all approved. You're not limited to a state-approved list — Alabama's home education ESA track doesn't mandate specific curricula. Buy what works for your family through the ClassWallet Marketplace or from an approved Education Service Provider.

The key restriction: materials must be academic in nature and appropriate for K-12 instruction. General reading novels, adult books, and materials not aligned to a core subject get rejected.

Tutoring and Academic Services

Private tutoring qualifies if the tutor is registered as an ALDOR-approved ESP. They'll need a bachelor's degree, state teaching certification, or national accreditation, plus a background check. Music and art lessons count if delivered by an approved ESP.

One firm rule: a parent or legal guardian cannot receive payment for tutoring their own child. No workarounds. ALDOR Rule 810-28-1-.06 makes this explicit.

Online learning platforms from approved providers also qualify — virtual courses, distance learning programs, and subscription-based academic platforms purchased through ClassWallet.

Technology Purchases

Laptops, desktops, and tablets have a $1,200 cap per awarded student, and you can only buy one device every two academic years. That's per student, not per family.

Supporting tech — printers, ink, mice, keyboards, protective cases, and headphones — is capped at $500 per student per year.

What doesn't qualify: gaming computers, televisions, external hard drives, external speakers, 3D printers, and SMARTboards. The device has to be a standard educational computing tool.

Technology purchases can only be made for students who hold an active funded ESA account. If you have four kids but only two funded accounts (due to the $4,000 family cap), the tech caps apply to those two funded students.

Co-op and Cover School Fees

Homeschool co-op fees and church cover school administrative fees are eligible — with one condition. The co-op or cover school must be formally registered as an approved ESP with ALDOR. Not all cover schools have done this, since many existed long before the CHOOSE Act and see no reason to enter the state's vendor system.

Before counting on using ESA funds for your co-op or cover school enrollment, confirm their ESP status in the ClassWallet portal.

Testing and Assessments

Standardized test fees are approved: ACT, SAT, AP exams, the Classic Learning Test, and other nationally norm-referenced assessments. After-school academic programs from approved ESPs qualify too.

Note that the home education track does not require you to test your child. This spending category is optional — you can purchase tests voluntarily, but ALDOR doesn't mandate it for homeschoolers.

What You Cannot Buy

• Sports equipment, athletic fees, and sports camp registrations
• Field trip admission, transportation, and food
• Childcare, babysitting, and before/after-school care
• Office furniture, storage, and room setup supplies
• Uniforms and graduation-related fees
• Any product or service from a provider not registered as an approved ESP

The Alabama CHOOSE Act ESA Parent Guide includes an approved expense quick-reference card and a category-by-category breakdown with the specific spending caps that apply to each type of purchase.

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