Mississippi School Choice Options
Mississippi has no general voucher or education savings account for all families. Its main private-school aid program is the special-needs Education Scholarship Account (ESA). It helps eligible students with disabilities pay private school tuition and certain other costs. An eligible school under the ESA law does not include a home instruction program. Also, ESA parents must agree not to file a homeschool certificate of enrollment. Mississippi does appear on the IRS list for the federal scholarship tax credit for 2027.
Day to day, most homeschool families pay their own costs. The ESA cannot fund a home study program. Public school classes and sports are up to each district. There is no state right to join them. If your child has an IEP and you are considering a private special-purpose school, review the Mississippi Department of Education ESA page. We will update this page if a broader choice program becomes law. For full details on each topic, open the sections below.
The Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Act created the ESA for students who have had an active IEP within the past three years. Parents may withdraw the child from public school and receive funds for private school tuition or other allowed expenses. An “eligible school” means a state-accredited special purpose school, a state-accredited nonpublic school, or a nonpublic school in the state that enrolls the student and serves the disability or IEP needs. An eligible school does not include a home instruction program under Miss. Code 37-13-91 (Miss. Code 37-181-3; Mississippi Department of Education: ESA).
To participate, the parent must agree, among other terms, not to enroll the student in a public school and not to file a certificate of enrollment for a home instruction program (Miss. Code 37-181-5). Allowed uses include tuition and academic fees at an eligible school, textbooks, tutors, curriculum, certain tests, therapies, and dual-enrollment tuition, subject to the statute’s limits.
HSLDA and MDE materials report a maximum reimbursement of $8,421 for the 2026–27 school year; confirm the current figure on the MDE ESA page when you apply (MDE ESA).
Mississippi has no universal ESA or voucher for students without the special-needs eligibility above. Homeschoolers using a home study program cannot use the special-needs ESA for that program (Miss. Code 37-181-3; Miss. Code 37-181-5).
Mississippi appears on the IRS list of states that have elected to participate in the federal scholarship tax credit for 2027, as of October 22, 2026 (IRS: FSTC Participating States). The federal credit is for donations to scholarship granting organizations; it is not a direct payment to homeschool parents.
No state law gives homeschoolers the right to join public school classes or activities. Each school or district decides, and policies vary (HSLDA: Public School Access in Mississippi).
See our Mississippi Homeschool Laws page for the annual certificate of enrollment and other legal requirements.
- Mississippi Department of Education: Education Scholarship Account; Miss. Code 37-181-3; Miss. Code 37-181-5
- IRS: Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Participating States (as of October 22, 2026)
- HSLDA: Public School Access in Mississippi
Last reviewed: November 9, 2026
*The information on this page is for general use only. It should not be taken as legal advice. It is believed to be accurate however state and federal laws change every year. Homeschool.net recommends joining an organization such as the Home School Legal Defense Association before your homeschooling adventure begins. HSLDA can provide complete, accurate, legal advice and services for homeschooling families.
Update History
No changes in law noted since this page was first published.