Can You Use ESA or School Choice Funds for ABA Therapy? A 2026 State-by-State Guide

Published August 14, 2026 • 8 min read
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If your family is waiting on an insurance authorization, sitting on a Medicaid waitlist, or facing a state-imposed hour cap on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, there is a funding source many parents overlook: your state's Education Savings Account (ESA) program. As of 2026, EdChoice counts 21 ESA programs across 18 states, and in many of them, families of children with autism can use the funds to pay for therapies, including ABA, not just private school tuition.

Here is what parents need to know about using ESA and school-choice funds for ABA therapy in 2026, including how much money is actually available, which states qualify, and how to avoid common mistakes.

What Is an Education Savings Account (ESA)?

An ESA is a state-funded account that gives parents a set amount of public education money to spend on approved educational expenses instead of sending their child to an assigned public school. Unlike a traditional school voucher, which can usually only be used for private school tuition, ESA funds are flexible. Families can typically use the money for:

  • Private school tuition
  • Tutoring
  • Curriculum and instructional materials
  • Assistive technology
  • Therapies for students with disabilities, including ABA therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy

Because autism qualifies as a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), children with an autism diagnosis or an Individualized Education Program (IEP) are often eligible for the highest funding tiers these programs offer.

Which States Currently Offer ESA Funds That Can Cover ABA Therapy?

Per EdChoice, the states with ESA programs are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida (two programs), Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee (three programs), Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Whether ABA therapy is an allowable expense, and at what funding level, is set separately by each state, so check your own program's rules rather than assuming. Program rules vary significantly, so it is worth understanding how the largest and most established programs work.

Arizona: Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA)

Arizona runs one of the longest-running and most generous ESA programs in the country, and it publishes its award amounts. The Arizona Department of Education's approximate annual ESA funding chart for the 2025-2026 school year lists students in grades 1 to 12 with no disability at roughly $7,105 to $10,540, and students in the Autism category at roughly $34,121 to $47,725. Those are approximations published by the state, and they change each year, so check the current chart before you plan around a number. Details on how funds may be spent are in the ADE ESA program pages and parent handbook.

Florida: Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities (FES-UA)

Florida's disability-specific ESA program, FES-UA, is the largest ESA program in the country by participation. Funding is tiered using a "matrix of services" evaluation that scores a child's level of support need, so two children with the same diagnosis can receive very different awards. Award amounts are set annually and we could not verify a current figure from a state source at the time of writing, so ask the Florida Department of Education or the scholarship-funding organization administering your award for the current amount for your child's matrix level rather than relying on a number you read online.

Texas: Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA)

Texas launched its statewide ESA program, the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program, for the 2026-2027 school year. The Texas Education Agency's letter on Senate Bill 2 spells out the catch for families of children with disabilities: total funding is limited to $30,000 per child with a disability, including the base amount, but "if a child is homeschooled, the total amount of funding is limited to $2,000 per school year." Application windows are set by the Comptroller and open once a year, so check the current dates before you plan around them.

North Carolina, Georgia, and Other States

North Carolina's ESA+ program is specifically designed for children with disabilities and can be used for ABA therapy and other approved services. Georgia, Tennessee, Utah, and the other states on this list each run their own disability-tiered ESA or voucher-plus-therapy program, with eligibility and dollar amounts set independently by each state legislature. Because these programs change from year to year, always confirm current amounts directly with your state's ESA administrator before budgeting around a specific figure.

How ESA Funds Compare to Insurance and Medicaid for ABA

ESA money is not a replacement for health insurance or Medicaid coverage of ABA therapy, and it should not be treated as one. Instead, think of it as a third funding lane that can help in specific situations:

  • Filling the gap while you wait. If your child is on an ABA therapy waitlist or your insurer requires a lengthy prior authorization, ESA funds can sometimes pay for services in the meantime.
  • Covering hours insurance won't. Several states have imposed weekly hour caps or age limits on insurance-funded ABA. ESA dollars can sometimes cover additional hours a family's insurer or state Medicaid program will not authorize.
  • Paying the gap between a provider's rate and what insurance reimburses. Many ESA programs explicitly allow funds to cover the portion of a therapy bill not paid by insurance.
  • Supporting homeschool families. Families who homeschool a child with autism generally cannot bill ABA to a school district, so an ESA can be one of the only public funding sources available. (Note the Texas exception above, where homeschool funding is capped much lower than private-school funding.)

What to Watch Out For

Before you count on ESA funds to pay for ABA therapy, keep these practical points in mind:

  • Provider approval matters. Most states require you to pay ABA providers who are registered or approved within the ESA program's marketplace. Ask any provider you're considering whether they already accept ESA payments in your state.
  • Funding tiers depend on documentation. The highest award amounts typically require a current IEP, a formal disability determination, or a specific diagnostic evaluation on file, not just a pediatrician's note.
  • Enrollment windows are limited. Most ESA programs open applications once a year and close them months before the school year begins. Missing the window usually means waiting until the next cycle.
  • Funds may affect other benefits. Accepting ESA money can, in some states, affect a child's eligibility to return to public school services mid-year or interact with IDEA-guaranteed services. Ask your state program administrator how ESA participation affects your child's IEP rights before enrolling.
  • Amounts and rules change yearly. ESA funding levels are set through each state's annual budget process, so a figure that was accurate last year may not be accurate this year. Always verify current numbers on your state's official ESA website.

How to Get Started

  1. Check whether your state runs an ESA or voucher-plus-therapy program using your state department of education's website.
  2. Confirm your child's eligibility, usually an autism diagnosis, an IEP, or both.
  3. Ask your state program which ABA providers are already approved to accept ESA payments, or ask a provider directly if they participate.
  4. Compare the ESA award amount to your insurance or Medicaid coverage to see where the gaps are that ESA funds could fill.
  5. Apply during your state's enrollment window, well before the deadline.

Every family's funding picture is different, and combining insurance, Medicaid, and ESA dollars can be complicated to coordinate. A good ABA provider's intake team can often help you understand what funding sources they accept and how to combine them.

Find an ABA Provider Near You

Whether you're funding ABA therapy through insurance, Medicaid, or an ESA program, the first step is finding a qualified provider who takes your funding source. ABA Navigator's directory makes it easy to search for ABA therapy providers near you, compare services, and reach out directly to ask about accepted payment methods, including ESA and school-choice funds. Our guide to ABA insurance coverage covers the insurance and Medicaid side, and our step-by-step guide to getting ABA therapy puts the whole process in order.

Important Note

This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal, educational, medical or insurance advice. ESA eligibility rules, allowable expenses, award amounts and application windows are set by each state and change every year, and participating in an ESA program can affect other benefits and IDEA rights. Confirm the details that apply to your family with your state's ESA administrator or a qualified professional before enrolling.

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