Alabama School Choice: Eligibility, Awards and Applications
Research baseline: October 10, 2026 · Version 18.1.0 · Selected-state audit
This Alabama guide covers Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education (CHOOSE) Act. It separates published eligibility from awards, school admission and available funding. The record below preserves unresolved details instead of filling them with assumptions.
The decision parents need to make
Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education (CHOOSE) Act
Alabama resident K5–12 students within the current income threshold.
$7,000 participating-school award; $2,000 home education per student, capped at $4,000 per family.
Renewals opened December 15, 2025; new applications January 2, 2026; both closed March 31, 2026.
Eligibility, funding, school requirements and accountability
Alabama — Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education (CHOOSE) ActOperating
- Official program name
- Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education (CHOOSE) Act
- Statute / law / rule
- 2024 CHOOSE Act, HB129 enrolled; administered through refundable income-tax-credit ESAs.
- Enacted status
- Enacted
- Enactment date
- March 7, 2024
- Effective date
- Unknown/not verified in this audit
- Launch / expansion
- 2025–26
- Operating status
- Operating
- Eligibility model
- Income-targeted in 2026–27; broader eligibility scheduled for 2027–28
- Eligible student groups
- Alabama resident K5–12 students within the current income threshold.
- Income rule
- 2026–27 household income ≤300% FPL using 2025 income. No general income ceiling scheduled for 2027–28.
- Disability rule
- 2026–27 first 500 awards prioritize special-needs students; siblings receive priority under the agency sequence.
- Prior-public attendance
- Current guide permits private-school and home-education pathways; no general prior-public requirement identified.
- Kindergarten rule
- K5 eligibility required.
- Home education
- Up to $2,000 per child; $4,000 maximum per family for home education.
- Private-school tuition
- Up to $7,000 per student at a participating school.
- Current award
- $7,000 participating-school award; $2,000 home education per student, capped at $4,000 per family.
- Award formula
- Distinct statutory school and home-education amounts; actual use limited to approved expenses.
- Maximum award
- $7,000 per participating-school student.
- Approved uses
- Approved tuition, curricula, textbooks, tutoring, therapies, assessments, education software and approved online instruction.
- Restrictions / prohibited uses
- Only current approved expenses; ALDOR reviews invoices and may reject unreasonable or suspected fraudulent charges.
- Rollover
- Unknown/not verified in this audit
- Application timing
- Renewals opened December 15, 2025; new applications January 2, 2026; both closed March 31, 2026.
- Renewal
- Annual renewal; 2026–27 renewal deadline March 31.
- Enrollment cap
- Unknown/not verified in this audit
- Funding / appropriation
- Unknown/not verified in this audit
- Lottery / waitlist / priorities
- 2026–27 priorities: first 500 special-needs awards, then prior-year recipients, qualifying active-duty dependents assigned to priority schools, then income ordering; sibling priority applies.
- Administrator
- Alabama Department of Revenue (ALDOR)
- Account / payment platform
- ClassWallet
- Participating-school rules
- Health/safety compliance, occupancy permit where required, child-protection compliance and financial statements or surety bond.
- Provider rules
- ALDOR approval; participating provider status is distinct from expense eligibility.
- Assessment requirements
- Participating-school students take approved standardized, norm-referenced or aptitude assessment; disability exception when testing inappropriate. Results to parents annually and school-level results to department.
- Audit / reporting
- ALDOR expense/invoice review; school financial assurance and reporting; suspension or disqualification for failures.
- Parent documents
- Student identity/age, Alabama residency and 2025 household income evidence; current renewal records.
- Residency
- Alabama resident student.
- Misuse controls
- Department may reject invoices and suspend or disqualify noncompliant providers/schools.
- Litigation
- Unknown/not verified in this audit
- Verified order scope
- Unknown/not verified in this audit
- Latest reviewed update
- 2026–27 parent window closed March 31; awards began April 15.
- Enrollment / award data
- Unknown/not verified in this audit
- Actual expenditure
- Unknown/not verified in this audit
- Evidence gaps
- Effective date, current appropriated balance, final awards/enrollment, expenditure and rollover treatment remain unverified.
Official evidence for this record
- Alabama Department of Revenue — CHOOSE Act — Agency program guidance. Reviewed for the October 10, 2026 baseline. Live pages may change. Checked 2026-10-10.
- CHOOSE Act designated administrator — Designated administrator guidance. Reviewed for the October 10, 2026 baseline. Live pages may change. Checked 2026-10-10.
- CHOOSE Act 2026–27 parent guide — Current program handbook. Reviewed for the October 10, 2026 baseline. Live pages may change. Checked 2026-10-10.
- Alabama HB129 enrolled / CHOOSE Act — Enacted session law. Reviewed for the October 10, 2026 baseline. Live pages may change. Checked 2026-10-10.
- CHOOSE Act 2026–27 application timeline — Agency calendar. Reviewed for the October 10, 2026 baseline. Live pages may change. Checked 2026-10-10.
Verified 2026-10-10 · Version 18.1.0 · Link to this record
State context · Official program / application starting point
Application and renewal calendar
Alabama — Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education (CHOOSE) ActClosed · 2026–27 · 2026-03-31
- School year / cycle
- 2026–27
- Opens
- 2026-01-02
- Application deadline
- 2026-03-31
- Renewal deadline
- 2026-03-31
- Lottery date
- Not located in this audit
- Award notifications
- Award notifications began April 15, 2026.
- Application status
- Closed
- Calendar interpretation
- New applicants January 2; renewals opened December 15, 2025.
- Official application starting point
- Open the official program / application instructions
Official evidence for this record
- CHOOSE Act 2026–27 application timeline — Agency calendar. Reviewed for the October 10, 2026 baseline. Live pages may change. Checked 2026-10-10.
- CHOOSE Act designated administrator — Designated administrator guidance. Reviewed for the October 10, 2026 baseline. Live pages may change. Checked 2026-10-10.
Verified 2026-10-10 · Version 18.1.0 · Link to this record
Implementation timeline and latest evidence
- 2025–26
- 2026–27 parent window closed March 31; awards began April 15.
Litigation and implementation limits
No controlling current case/order was verified for this state in the selected litigation audit. This does not establish that no lawsuit exists.
Official state document library
- Alabama Department of Revenue — CHOOSE Act — Agency program guidance. Reviewed for the October 10, 2026 baseline. Live pages may change. Checked 2026-10-10.
- CHOOSE Act designated administrator — Designated administrator guidance. Reviewed for the October 10, 2026 baseline. Live pages may change. Checked 2026-10-10.
- CHOOSE Act 2026–27 parent guide — Current program handbook. Reviewed for the October 10, 2026 baseline. Live pages may change. Checked 2026-10-10.
- Alabama HB129 enrolled / CHOOSE Act — Enacted session law. Reviewed for the October 10, 2026 baseline. Live pages may change. Checked 2026-10-10.
- CHOOSE Act 2026–27 application timeline — Agency calendar. Reviewed for the October 10, 2026 baseline. Live pages may change. Checked 2026-10-10.
Next steps
Questions and answers
Who qualifies in Alabama?
Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education (CHOOSE) Act: Alabama resident K5–12 students within the current income threshold.
Can families use funds for home education?
Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education (CHOOSE) Act: Up to $2,000 per child; $4,000 maximum per family for home education.
When can families apply?
Renewals opened December 15, 2025; new applications January 2, 2026; both closed March 31, 2026.
Update log
October 10, 2026 — Initial audited release. Added current Iowa half-year window, West Virginia prorated application bands and Wyoming preliminary-injunction reversal. Texas and Tennessee calendar conflicts are documented in their source notes. No automatic future-update claim is made.
Related coverage: Parent rights, FERPA and student privacy · Title IX sports and privacy · Education reporting · Local accountability · Religious freedom · Taxpayer accountability. Corrections: send a documented correction.