Some schools provide supplemental services such as tutoring and educational therapies to ESA+ students, in addition to services provided as part of the regular school day and covered by tuition and fees.
Requirements for Schools
Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, schools that are paid for supplemental services by parents using ESA+ funds must register with SEAA as Providers.
Schools that accept ESA+ funds for these supplemental services will be required to submit a signed School and School Employee Provider Agreement that certifies the employees are credentialed.
The required credentials are as follows:
a tutor or teacher must have a teaching license or a bachelor’s degree
providers of educational therapiesmust hold a credential appropriate to their field.
Resources
Later this spring, SEAA will offer training to further explain the process of registering your school as an ESA+ service provider. In the meantime, you can view a sample agreement and Frequently Asked Questions below. Note that this provider agreement is separate from the Nonpublic School Agreement signed by Direct Payment Schools.
No, if your school does not offer supplemental services that parents may be able to pay for with ESA+ funds. Yes, if your school offers tutoring or teaching services, or educational therapies, which are optional; beyond required tuition and fees, and if parents may be using ESA+ funds to pay for these services for their students.
The School and School Employee Provider Agreement is required for schools that provide supplemental services to ESA+ students that are not covered through required tuition and fees. School employees who are directly providing tutoring or educational therapy services must be appropriately credentialed for parents to use ESA+ funds to pay for these services.
The Highest Decision-Making Authority (HDMA) of your school, if your school is providing services to students whose parents will be paying with ESA+ funds. Only schools that are already registered with SEAA (or DNPE only) can sign a School and School Employee Provider Agreement.
Employees who are directly providing teaching or tutoring services must have an active or inactive teaching license from North Carolina or another state, OR have a bachelor’s degree.
Employees who are directly providing educational therapies must have a license appropriate for their field.
No. By signing the agreement, the HDMA will warrant that the employees are credentialed. Schools may be asked to submit a copy of the credentials at a later date.
No. This agreement applies to school employees who are directly providing tutoring or educational therapies to students whose parents are paying for the services with ESA+ funds.
As of September 1, 2024, parents using ESA+ funds to pay for tutoring or teaching services, or educational therapies, can only pay a school provider who has documented their qualifications through the School and School Employee Provider Agreement.
A school can continue to be a Direct Payment School or an ESA+ Reimbursement School without signing this agreement. Signing or not signing the School and School Employee Provider Agreement does not affect a school’s status as a Direct Payment School (for Opportunity Scholarship or ESA+) or as an ESA+ Reimbursement School.
No. This is a separate process from the Nonpublic School Agreement. Schools must sign the Nonpublic School Agreement to receive direct payments from SEAA.
