How to become a Mississippi ESA vendor
Mississippi's Education Scholarship Account, for students with an active IEP, is run by the Mississippi Department of Education's Office of Special Education. There's no provider marketplace or vendor portal: families file quarterly reimbursement requests, and you can be paid directly if the parent names you on the form.
Checked against official sources on Oct 9, 2026
Run by
MDE Office of Special Education (quarterly reimbursements)
Next request deadline
Nov 27, 2026 (paid Dec 17)1
Paid to
The parent, or you if the parent approves2
Provider types
2 with their own documents
$8,421
maximum reimbursement per student for the 2026-27 school year.3
Who can apply
- Students must live in Mississippi, have an active IEP from a public school district within three years of applying, and be accepted at an eligible private school. Homeschool programs don't count as eligible schools.4
Documents by provider type
Tutors
- Documentation that you're certified or licensed by a state, regional or national certification, licensing or accreditation body. Tutoring can't be paid for students who are homeschooled or enrolled in public school.3
Therapists, paraprofessionals and aides
- Educational services or therapies must come from a licensed or certified practitioner or provider, including licensed or certified paraprofessionals or educational aides.3
How you get paid
- 1To be paid directly, you fill in the provider section of the family's reimbursement request: your name, EIN, address and phone, plus a signed attestation that the amount is for services you provided to the student this school year as shown on your invoice. The parent signs too.5
- 2The request needs ORIGINAL receipts and proof of the student's enrollment every quarter. Purchases from before the student was awarded the ESA aren't reimbursed.6
- 3If a family pays a full year's fees up front, the reimbursement is spread evenly over the four quarters.2
Price caps and purchase limits
- No more than $50 a year in consumable school supplies. Computers and other technology only with written verification that they're essential to the student's goals, and they must be donated to a public school or library when the student leaves the program.2
What trips providers up
- Falsifying anything on the form means permanent removal from the program, repayment and possible referral to law enforcement, for providers as well as parents.5
- Schools must give parents pre- and post-assessment results. A school that doesn't may lose its eligible-school status, which stops funds for every ESA family enrolled there.2
Sources
- 1.Education Scholarship Account program page, Mississippi Dept. of Education, updated Oct 9, 2026
- 2.Understanding the Education Scholarship Account (FAQ), Mississippi Dept. of Education, p. 5, updated Jun 30, 2026
- 3.Understanding the Education Scholarship Account (FAQ), Mississippi Dept. of Education, p. 4, updated Jun 30, 2026
- 4.Understanding the Education Scholarship Account (FAQ), Mississippi Dept. of Education, p. 2, updated Jun 30, 2026
- 5.ESA Reimbursement Request Form 2026-2027, Mississippi Dept. of Education, p. 2, updated May 12, 2026
- 6.ESA Reimbursement Request Form 2026-2027, Mississippi Dept. of Education, p. 1, updated May 12, 2026
Spot something out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it against the source.
Photo: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 4.0
Track every Mississippi ESA order in one place
The ChoicePaid dashboard (early access) shows what's confirmed, what's waiting on a receipt or tracking number, and when each payout is due, across every program you're in.