Alabama Department of Revenue (ALDOR), CHOOSE Act
CHOOSE Act ESA: approved education service provider (tutoring and microschools)
Tuition money, not a grant: Alabama families in a home education program, which ALDOR says includes co-ops, can pay approved tutors and microschools from a $2,000-a-year CHOOSE Act account. Providers apply to ALDOR year round.
- Amount
- Families in a home education program pay approved providers from their ESA: $2,000 per student a year, up to $4,000 per family
- Can a for-profit school apply?
- Unclear: ask the funder
- Deadline
- Rolling
- Who this fits
- Microschool · Homeschool co‑opFor families in a home education program, which ALDOR says includes "an individual or group program, homeschool, co-op, etc." The CHOOSE rules count a homeschool student as a participating student "even if enrolled in a church school, homeschool co-op, or similar entity." Organizations can be approved, and ALDOR's provider list has a "K-12 Private Tutoring/Microschool" section that includes a home education co-op. This route does not cover students enrolled in a private school that isn't a participating school.Religious schools: yes
- New schools
- Not stated for new schools
- Where
- Alabama only
- Last checked
- Oct 20, 2026on classwallet.com
Unconfirmed: check with the funder
We couldn’t confirm these on an official page. Treat them as open questions, not facts.
- What credentials ALDOR asks of a co-op or microschool applying as an organization (the guide spells them out only for tutors and therapists)
- Exact 2027-28 family application dates (not posted by ALDOR yet)
- Whether for-profit providers are treated differently
How to apply
- Step 1: Read the 2026-27 Education Service Provider Guide (who qualifies and which expenses are approved)
- Step 2: Have proof of a bachelor's degree, state certification or accreditation for each tutor
- Step 3: Complete background checks and keep the documentation
- Step 4: Start the ESP application from ClassWallet's CHOOSE Act Alabama page
- Step 5: After approval, register with ClassWallet and send families invoices that never mention CHOOSE or ClassWallet
Funders change their requirements. Check the official page before you apply. Getting ready? See what funders usually ask for.
Who can apply
“A private tutor must either be accredited or have a bachelor’s degree or state certification, to be approved as an ESP.”
Tuition money, not a grant. Students in a home education program get $2,000 a year (up to $4,000 per family), and the parent pays approved providers through ClassWallet. Private tutoring is an approved expense in art, English language arts, foreign languages, math, music, religion, science and social studies. Tutors also need a completed background check, and documentation goes in with the application. ALDOR's published list of approved providers includes a 'K-12 Private Tutoring/Microschool' section. Invoices may not mention the CHOOSE Act or ClassWallet. A parent cannot be paid as a provider for services to their own child, and payments never go to a parent or student. A child enrolled in a private school that is not a participating school is not an eligible CHOOSE student, so this route is for home education families, not an unaccredited private school's enrolled students.
- Tutors: accredited, or a bachelor's degree, or state certification
- A completed background check, with documentation at the time of application
- Bill only approved expenses (private tutoring in approved subjects, curriculum, testing and more)
- Invoices may not mention the CHOOSE Act or ClassWallet
- Register with ClassWallet after ALDOR approves you
- A parent can't be paid as a provider for their own child (matters for parent-run co-ops)
- Students enrolled in a private school that isn't a participating school are not eligible CHOOSE students
Timing
The ESP application is open year round, and ALDOR decides within 14 days. On the family side, the 2026-27 application portals closed March 31, 2026; ALDOR has not posted 2027-28 dates yet (the Governor's office said in July 2026 the process will begin in January 2027).