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Funding sources

Every way to pay for private school in Jefferson and Shelby counties

9 sources a Birmingham-area family can use for private, church, Catholic, home and pre-K education, with who qualifies, the amounts and the dates.

Last verified: October 2026

Which funding source should a Birmingham family check first?

Start with the CHOOSE Act ESA: $7,000 per student at a participating school, $2,000 per home-educated student, and no income test from 2027-28. Then compare an Accountability Act scholarship if your income is at or under 250% of poverty or your child has an IEP or 504 plan, because a student can hold only one of the two.

What helps before kindergarten?

First Class Pre-K is free for 4-year-olds, and DHR's child care subsidy and Childcare Resources help working families with younger children and the hours outside school.

State ESA · $7,000

CHOOSE Act ESA for a Participating School

Alabama's Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students' Education (CHOOSE) Act puts up to $7,000 a year into a ClassWallet education savings account for a K5-12 student enrolled at a state-approved private school.

Rules and dates →State ESA · $2,000

CHOOSE Act Home-Education ESA

A student who is not enrolled in a participating school, such as a homeschooled child, a co-op learner or a student in a group program, can receive up to $2,000 a year, capped at $4,000 per family.

Rules and dates →SGO scholarship · up to $10,000

Alabama Accountability Act Tax-Credit Scholarships

Scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) fund private-school scholarships of up to $10,000 with donations that Alabama taxpayers redirect from their state income tax.

Rules and dates →New · 2027

Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit (2027)

Alabama joined the new federal scholarship tax credit on January 16, 2026. From 2027, donors earn a federal credit for gifts to ALDOR-certified SGOs, which fund scholarships for families up to 300% of area median income.

Rules and dates →Free · Age 4

Alabama First Class Pre-K

Alabama's state-funded pre-K is free for any child who is 4 on September 1, with no income test. Classrooms run 6.5 hours a day in public schools, child care centers, Head Start programs and faith-based centers.

Rules and dates →Income-based

Child Care Subsidies (Jefferson & Shelby)

Working families can get help with child care through the Alabama DHR Child Care Subsidy Program, managed locally by Child Care Central, and through Childcare Resources' Supplemental Child Care Program for children under 5.

Rules and dates →Catholic schools

Catholic School Funding (Diocese of Birmingham)

Catholic schools in Jefferson and Shelby counties belong to the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama. All diocesan schools are approved CHOOSE Act participating schools, and several work with Accountability Act SGOs.

Rules and dates →At the school

School-Based Tuition Assistance

Need-based aid, sibling and member pricing, and payment plans offered by the school itself, usually the layer that handles what the ESA or SGO award leaves.

Rules and dates →Partner fund

Edu Fund Partner Scholarship

A private fund for families at participating church and community schools, aimed at part of what remains after state money. Terms are confirmed during your funding check.

Rules and dates →

Which program pays for what

ProgramPays forDoesn't pay for
CHOOSE Act ESATuition, listed fees, textbooks, tutoring, therapies, testsUniforms, transport, child care
SGO scholarshipTuition at partner schoolsAnything else
First Class Pre-KA free pre-K seat for a 4-year-oldK5 and up
Child care subsidyCare during working hoursSchool tuition

Dates to know

  • Dec 31, 2026Alabama Accountability Act donor credits for tax year 2026 expire. The $40 million yearly credit pool is first-come, and it is what funds SGO scholarships.
  • Jan 1, 2027The federal Education Freedom Tax Credit starts. Alabama opted in on January 16, 2026 (Executive Order 742), with ALDOR certifying scholarship granting organizations.
  • January 20272027-28 CHOOSE Act applications open. It is the first cycle with no household income test. ALDOR has said January but has not posted portal dates; last cycle renewals opened Dec 15 and new families Jan 2.
  • Early 2027First Class Pre-K registration for 2027-28. The 2026-27 pre-registration ran January 15 to March 11, 2026; new dates had not been posted on October 28, 2026.
  • Mar 31Last cycle's CHOOSE Act closing date for both renewal and new-family applications. Watch for the 2027 equivalent.
  • Jun 30, 2027Last day to spend 2026-27 ESA money. Anything left in a ClassWallet account on June 30 goes back to the CHOOSE Act Fund.

See which Alabama programs fit your child

Five questions, about two minutes. Then a tuition counselor phones with the programs and dates for your child.

Start the funding check →