North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship: Amounts, Rules and...

How Opportunity Scholarship works

What you get	$3,574 to $7,942 per student, by household income. Four income tiers. A family of four earning up to $61,050 gets the top amount. Students with disabilities can also use ESA+.
Who qualifies	Any North Carolina K-12 student at a participating private school. There is no income cap, but lower incomes get more and go first.
How full it is	104,599 students were enrolled in 2025-26.
When to apply	The 2026-27 priority window ran February 2 to March 2, 2026. Expect early February again.
How the money moves	The state pays the school directly, twice a year.
What it covers	Required tuition and fees only. It can never exceed what the school actually charges.

We read this on 2026-09-20 from: NCSEAA, 2026-27 award tiers; Carolina Journal, 2026-02-02. Rules change when the legislature meets, so check the official program site before you count on a number.

Run your own numbers

What would you pay?

Yearly tuition the school quoted Fees, books, uniforms Opportunity Scholarship award Children

Opportunity Scholarship pays between $3,574 and $7,942 depending on your household. We start with the lower figure. Change it if you know yours. An award can never be more than the school actually charges. This is arithmetic, not a quote.

Which schools take it

Schools marked here appear on the direct-payment school list the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority posts for 2026-27. That list gives a name, city and county, so we match on name and city.

Browse North Carolina private schools The state’s own list

Get one email when applications open

Most programs open once a year, and several ran out of money or seats in 2026. Pick your state and we will email you the day the next window opens, with the official link. That is the only email you get.

One email per application window. No calls, no sharing your details.

Questions parents ask

How much does Opportunity Scholarship pay in North Carolina?

$3,574 to $7,942 per student, by household income. Four income tiers. A family of four earning up to $61,050 gets the top amount. Students with disabilities can also use ESA+.

Who is eligible?

Any North Carolina K-12 student at a participating private school. There is no income cap, but lower incomes get more and go first.

Does it cover the full cost of private school?

Not always. The award is a set amount and every school sets its own price. Ask each school for tuition plus fees, then subtract the award. The calculator on this page does the sum for you.

How do I know a school accepts Opportunity Scholarship?

Schools marked here appear on the direct-payment school list the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority posts for 2026-27. That list gives a name, city and county, so we match on name and city.

When do I apply?

The 2026-27 priority window ran February 2 to March 2, 2026. Expect early February again.

North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship