Applications for North Carolina’s expanded Opportunity Scholarship Program will open at 9am on Feb. 6 and run until March 6, according to a news release from the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority, the state agency responsible for implementing 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 NCSEAA also announced new income guidelines and scholarship amounts for the program. Each scholarship is now valued at between $3,458 and $7,686 each year, spread across four income tier levels ranging from $59,478 for a family of four in the first tier, to more than $267,651 a year in the fourth tier. Those figures are about a 3% increase from the prior year’s numbers.

Students in the lowest income tier receive first priority. The General Assembly has funded the program at $625 million for the 2025-2026 school year.
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.
“We’re excited that more North Carolinians will have the chance to choose the school that best fits their child,” said Dr. Robert Luebke, director of the Center for Effective Education at the John Locke Foundation. “Parents have been asking for more educational options and we’re thankful lawmakers have responded positively. As more and more families learn about the Opportunity Scholarship Program, we’re confident the program will continue to grow and serve families across North Carolina.”