Guides
ESA Marketing for Private Schools
ESA marketing for private schools means getting approved for your state's education savings account program, then reaching families before its application window closes, with a clear answer to what they will pay after the award. Eighteen states run an ESA program serving more than 500,000 students, yet half of parents are unsure whether their state has one (EdChoice, 2026). The families to reach are mostly public school families: in Arizona, 59.5% of new universal ESA students in FY 2026 came straight from a public school (Arizona Department of Education).
18
states with an ESA program
EdChoice, 2026
more than 500,000
ESA students
EdChoice, 2026
50%
of parents unsure whether their state has an ESA
EdChoice, 2026
59.5%
of new Arizona universal ESA students came from public schools
ADE, FY 2026
What is an education savings account?
A state-funded account parents use for approved education costs, including private school tuition. The state deposits money for an eligible student, and the family directs it to a participating school or other approved expenses.
- ESA: money goes into an account the family controls. Texas TEFA and the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account work this way.
- Voucher: state money pays tuition at a participating private school. North Carolina's Opportunity Scholarship works this way.
- Tax-credit scholarship: donors fund scholarships and receive a tax credit. A federal version starts January 1, 2027 (see below).
For a private school, the marketing job is the same across all three: families have to know the program exists, know your school takes it, and apply in time.
How big are the programs private schools compete for?
Counts are measured differently by each state.
FTE forecast, 2025-26; 482,528 forecast, 2026-27
funded, more than 100,000 on the waitlist (August 13, 2026)
Source: Texas Comptroller; ADE; Florida Education Estimating Conference; NCSEAA as reported by EdNC.
View the data
| State and program | Type | Students | What a private school student receives | When families apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas, Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) | ESA | 101,600 funded, more than 100,000 on the waitlist (August 13, 2026) | $10,474 standard award, 2026-27 | February 4 to March 31, 2026 for 2026-27; 2027-28 dates not yet posted |
| Arizona, Empowerment Scholarship Account | ESA | 99,709 (end of FY 2026) | Most awards $7,000 to $9,000 | Year-round |
| Florida, Family Empowerment Scholarship | Scholarship | 434,053 FTE forecast, 2025-26; 482,528 forecast, 2026-27 | Set by the state each year | New families from February 1, 2026 for 2026-27 |
| North Carolina, Opportunity Scholarship | Voucher | 106,789 (April 6, 2026) | $3,574 to $7,942 by family income, 2026-27 | 2027-28 opens the first Monday in February 2027 |
Sources: Texas Comptroller; Arizona Department of Education, ESA FY26 Q4 report; Florida Education Estimating Conference (August 11, 2026), excluding the separate tax credit scholarship; NCSEAA data as reported by EdNC. Each state counts students differently, so compare scale, not exact size.
Nationally, EdChoice counts 18 states with an ESA program serving more than 500,000 students (Schooling in America 2026). State pages: Texas, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina.
Which families should a private school target?
Public school families, most of whom do not yet know the program.
- Where new ESA students come from. Of universal-eligibility students in grades 1 to 12 who joined Arizona's ESA in FY 2026, 59.5% attended a public school immediately before (Arizona Department of Education, FY 2026 Q4 report).
- What parents know. 50% of parents are unsure whether their state has an ESA, and 65% say they would use one (EdChoice, Schooling in America 2026).
New Arizona universal ESA students, grades 1 to 12, FY 2026.
Source: Arizona Department of Education, FY 2026 Q4 report.
View the data
| New Arizona universal ESA students, grades 1 to 12, FY 2026 | Share |
|---|---|
| Attended a public school immediately before | 59.5% |
| All other prior settings | 40.5% |
What this means for your marketing. Your current families already know you. The growth is in families who have never paid tuition and do not know an award could cover most of it. Your ads have to explain the program before they sell the school.
What does a private school need in place before it markets to ESA families?
- Program approval. In Texas, a private school must apply and meet the program's eligibility rules to take TEFA funds, and families can only use the award at a participating school. Each state sets its own school requirements. Confirm yours with the program administrator: the Texas Comptroller, the Arizona Department of Education, Step Up For Students in Florida, or NCSEAA in North Carolina.
- A visible answer on your website. A page that says which programs you accept, what the award is, and what a family pays after it.
- Someone to help with the application. Families new to private school often need help with the state application, not only yours. See Parent Outreach.
- A way to confirm enrollment on time. In Texas, families awarded before June 22, 2026 had until July 15 to select a school, and the school had until July 31 to confirm enrollment (Texas Comptroller, June 30, 2026). A school that misses a confirmation deadline can delay a family's funding.
When should a private school market to ESA families?
Before the state application window, not after it.
- Texas: families applied February 4 to March 31 for 2026-27. More than 274,000 applications came in for the first year (Fox 7 Austin, reporting the Comptroller). The 2027-28 window has not been posted. Plan to be in front of families by January.
- Florida: new families could apply for 2026-27 scholarships starting February 1, 2026.
- North Carolina: the 2027-28 Opportunity Scholarship application opens the first Monday in February 2027.
- Arizona: ESA applications run year-round, so private school recruiting does not pause.
Then keep going. A family that wins an award still has to choose a school. In Texas, awarded families picked their school through mid-July.
How should a private school explain tuition against the award?
In dollars, on one line: tuition, minus the award, equals what the family pays.
| Example | Tuition | Award | Family pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas, standard TEFA award, 2026-27 | Your tuition | $10,474 | Tuition minus $10,474 |
| North Carolina, lowest-income tier, 2026-27 | Your tuition | $7,942 | Tuition minus $7,942 |
| North Carolina, highest-income tier, 2026-27 | Your tuition | $3,574 | Tuition minus $3,574 |
- Say the family cost plainly. Put the cost after the award in the ad as a dollar figure. It answers the question a public school family is actually asking.
- Name the fees the award does not cover, such as uniforms, transportation, or activity fees, if your school charges them.
- Do not promise an award. Programs have eligibility rules, priority groups, and, in Texas, a lottery when applications exceed funding (Texas Comptroller, December 22, 2025). Say "if your family is awarded."
How does the award payment schedule affect retention?
In Texas, half of a private school student's award arrives mid-year, and only if the student is still enrolled. For 2026-27, the Comptroller pays 25% on July 1, 25% on October 1, and 50% on February 1, 2027, provided the student remains enrolled at a participating private school (Texas Comptroller, June 30, 2026).
For a Texas private school, that makes fall retention part of enrollment marketing. A family that leaves in December takes the February payment with it. Check every state's schedule with its administrator.
How does the federal scholarship tax credit change this?
It adds a new source of scholarship money starting January 1, 2027, in states that opt in. At least 27 states had opted in as of June 8, 2026 (IRS, IR-2026-76), including Texas and Florida. North Carolina opted in by state law on June 3, 2026, after the IRS list was published. Arizona is not on the IRS list.
For private schools in opted-in states, the federal credit means more families may have scholarship money for the 2027-28 school year, and more of them will be new to private school.
How do you measure ESA marketing?
By cost per submitted application, the same way as any enrollment marketing. Divide ad spend by completed, submitted applications to your school, not by inquiries or clicks.
Taylor Wiz publishes this figure for charter schools: $113 in Meta ad spend per submitted application over the full year, across 20 charter school accounts (Charter Enrollment Marketing Benchmark 2026). We do not yet have enough private school accounts to publish a private school figure, and we will publish one when we do. Budget method: Charter School Marketing Budget.
Frequently asked questions
What is ESA marketing for private schools?
Reaching families who can use an education savings account at your school: getting approved for the program, marketing before the state application window, and showing what a family pays after the award.
Which families are most likely to use an ESA at a new school?
Public school families. In Arizona, 59.5% of new universal ESA students in grades 1 to 12 in FY 2026 came from a public school (Arizona Department of Education).
When should a Texas private school start marketing for TEFA families?
Before the state application window. For 2026-27, families applied February 4 to March 31, 2026. The 2027-28 dates have not been posted, so plan to reach families by January.
How much is a Texas TEFA award for a private school student?
$10,474 for the 2026-27 school year, 85% of the statewide average of state and local funding per public school student (Texas Comptroller).
Do parents know ESAs exist?
Many do not. 50% of parents are unsure whether their state has an ESA, and 65% say they would use one (EdChoice, 2026).
Does Taylor Wiz work with private schools that accept ESA students?
Yes. All four services are offered to private and faith-based schools. See Private School Marketing Agency.
How much does Taylor Wiz cost?
Pricing is scoped to each school on a strategy call, based on your enrollment goals and your market.
Find out what a seat actually costs you
Bring your current enrollment numbers and ad spend. We will map your funnel from inquiry to submitted application and show you where families are lost.
Written by Will Rodriguez, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Reviewed for accuracy against current program rules and state data.
- Published
- Last updated
Sources
- Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas Education Freedom Accounts program page (award amount and 2026-27 application period)
- Texas Comptroller, Nearly 73,000 Texas Education Freedom Accounts to Receive Initial Funding July 1 (June 30, 2026)
- Texas Comptroller, 100,000 Students Receiving Texas Education Freedom Accounts (August 13, 2026)
- Fox 7 Austin, Texas school voucher applications surge past 274,000 as initial deadline closes (secondary, reporting the Comptroller)
- Arizona Department of Education, ESA FY26 Q4 Executive and Legislative Report (August 31, 2026)
- Florida Education Estimating Conference, PreK-12 conference report (August 11, 2026)
- Step Up For Students, 2026-27 Scholarship Deadlines
- EdNC, Even fewer new NC families apply for vouchers this year (April 15, 2026), reporting NCSEAA data
- NCSEAA, Opportunity Scholarship
- EdChoice, Highlights from the Newly Released 2026 Schooling in America Survey
- IRS, IR-2026-76 (June 8, 2026)
- NC Newsline, North Carolina Senate overrides ninth Stein veto to enact scholarship tax credit bill (June 3, 2026)
- Texas Comptroller, Hundreds of Texas Schools Already Enrolled in Education Freedom Accounts Program (December 22, 2025)
- Taylor Wiz Charter Enrollment Marketing Benchmark 2026