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Iowa’s New Voucher Law: What Is The Students First Act?

From Office of the Governor of Iowa (January 24th, 2023)

DES MOINES — Governor Reynolds signed HF 68 into law today amid hundreds of supporters in the Iowa State Capitol. The Students First Act makes state education funding available for K-12 students who choose to attend private schools.

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“Public schools are the foundation of our education system and for most families they will continue to be the option of choice, but they aren’t the only choice,” Governor Reynolds stated. “For some families, a different path may be better for their children. With this bill, every child in Iowa, regardless of zip code or income, will have access to the school best suited for them.”

Universal eligibility will be phased in over three years. All incoming Kindergarteners and all public-school students will be eligible beginning year one with the start of the 2023-2024 school year. Eligibility for families of children currently enrolled in accredited private schools will be income based over the first two years.

  • During the 2023-2024 school year, private school students with household incomes at or below 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL), currently $83,250 for a family of four, are eligible.
  • In the 2024-2025 school year, private school eligibility expands to include families with household incomes at or below 400% FPL, currently $111,000 for a family of four, are eligible.
  • Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, all K-12 students in Iowa are eligible regardless of family income.

Parents or guardians who enroll their eligible children in an accredited private school will receive an amount equal to the per pupil funds allocated by the state to all public school districts each year. The funds are estimated at $7,598 per pupil for the 2023-2024 school year and will be deposited into an education savings account (ESA) to be used for tuition, fees, and other qualified education expenses.

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Information is available on the Iowa Department of Education website at educateiowa.gov and will be updated regularly. Families interested in applying for ESAs can sign up to receive notifications when new information is posted on the webpage.

FAQs About Education Savings Accounts

What is the Students First Act (SFA) and Educations Saving Account (ESA)?

The Students First Act is a bill that was signed into law by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds that makes state education funding available for K-12 students who choose to attend private schools. It also provides public schools with additional categorical funding for students who live in their district but attend private schools, and allows public school districts to use unspent money from some categorical funds to supplement teacher salaries.

Educations Saving Accounts are available to parents who enroll their eligible children in an accredited private school. Parent(s) will receive an amount equal to the per pupil funds allocated by the state to all public school districts each year ($7,820 for the 2023-24 school year).

Q: Our family just moved to Iowa. Do we need to become Iowa residents to qualify?

Yes, you must be an Iowa Resident (specific residency requirements to be announced by the Iowa Department of Education).

Q: How does my family qualify for the ESAs/Voucher?

1)  Must be an Iowa Resident (specific residency requirements to be announced by the Iowa Department of Education)

2) Anyone who in the previous school year attended public school or homeschool within the state qualifies for the ESA/Voucher

3) Incoming kindergarten students qualify for the ESA/Voucher

4) For anyone who in the previous school year attended private school, eligibility will be based on household income:

  • During the 2023-2024 school year, private school students with household incomes at or below 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL), currently $83,250 for a family of four, are eligible.
  • In the 2024-2025 school year, private school eligibility expands to include families with household incomes at or below 400% FPL, currently $111,000 for a family of four, are eligible.
  • Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, all K-12 students in Iowa are eligible regardless of family income.

For more information please visit https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines

Q: I currently have children who attend public school in Iowa but I want to send them to Maharishi School. Is there income criteria for the ESA/Voucher?

No, they would be eligible for an ESA regardless of income as long as they are enrolled as a full-time student at Maharishi School.

Q: Our child is currently homeschooled. If we want to send them to Maharishi School next year, are they eligible for an ESA?

Yes, they would be eligible for an ESA regardless of income as long as they are enrolled as a full-time student at Maharishi School.

Q: I live in another state but want to send my child to Maharishi School. Can I still qualify for the ESAs/Voucher?

No, at this time you can only qualify for this program if you are a current resident of the state of Iowa.

Q: What if the funds I receive do not cover the full tuition at Maharishi School?

Any families who would like consideration for additional financial aid are encouraged to complete the Financial Aid Independent Review (FAIR) form. Our Students Accounts office will inform the family of their eligibility for additional financial aid. Many of our families do qualify for substantial financial aid.

Q: What can the ESA/Voucher funds be used for?

The funds can be used for Maharishi School tuition.

Q: Is there a deadline for application for the ESAs/Voucher?

In this inaugural year ESA applications will not be available until July 1, 2023. No deadlines for submission have been announced.

Q: What financial information does the Iowa Department of Education need to assess my family’s eligibility?

That information has not been made available yet by the Iowa Department of Education.

Q: If our family receives an ESA and we need to withdraw during the school year, can we get a refund?

No.  Per the Iowa Department of Education, private schools are NOT allowed to refund ESA tuition to families.

Q. If our family receives the ESA, will it be taxable income?

No, the ESA will not be taxable income.

Q: Does my Preschool child qualify for the ESA/voucher program?

No, the program begins with Kindergarten age students.

Q: How will the ESA funds will be used by private schools. Does Maharishi School have any financial accountability?

Yes, we operate as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization under Maharishi International University and are audited annually. Our best measure of how our funds are used are the outcomes seen in our students: their academic and extracurricular achievement and their creative, compassionate, contributing qualities of character.

FAQs For Maharishi School Community

Q: My child currently attends Maharishi School. Do I need to apply for ESAs/Voucher?

Yes, to qualify for Maharishi School financial aid, every parent will be asked to also apply for the ESA/voucher.

Q: I am an employee of Maharishi International University (or Maharishi School) and receive tuition remission for my children as part of my compensation. Do I still need to apply for the ESA/Voucher?

Yes, all MIU employees (or Maharishi School) who are residents of Iowa will be asked to apply for the voucher.  If additional financial support is needed, the family should apply for FAIR.

Q: Our family has three children in Maharishi School. Do they each get an ESA or is it one per family?

If your family qualifies per the requirements, there would be an ESA of $7,820 per child.

Q: Our children are enrolled in Maharishi School. Do I still need to complete the FAIR form?

Yes, this will still be required to be considered for financial aid.

Q: I complete the FAIR form every year to qualify for financial aid. The voucher will cover most--but not all--of my tuition payment. Will I still need to contribute some portion?

Yes, you will be asked to complete the ESA/voucher application as well as the FAIR form, and to pay the balance indicated on your tuition invoice. In other words, the ESA/voucher will cover the first $7820 of your tuition payment. You will be responsible for the balance of the invoiced amount.

Q: My child has been boarding this past year at Maharishi School in Iowa. Do we qualify?

Only families who are residents of Iowa may qualify.

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Maharishi School does not discriminate on the basis of handicap in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its program and activity.

An offer of admission is conditioned on Maharishi School being able to meet any necessary or reasonable accommodations.  If you have such needs, please contact our Admissions Office after you have received an offer of admission. We will need this in writing, and may require additional documentation, in order to make this determination.

Maharishi School admits students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis or race, color, national, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and aid programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

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🙌Last year, Ishita presented her research in t 🙌Last year, Ishita  presented her research in the International Science and Engineering Fair after being selected as a State Science & Technology Fair of Iowa Champion. 
🙌Currently, her project is one of the selected Top 5 Iowa Junior Science and Humanities Symposium projects headed to nationals representing both Maharishi School and Iowa at Virginia Beach, Virginia in April. 
🙌This is a huge honor and we are so proud of Ishita!❤️
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⚡Destination ImagiNation, Inc., the world’s la ⚡Destination ImagiNation, Inc., the world’s largest creativity and problem solving organization, inspires participants in all of its programs to learn the process, art, and skill associated with problem solving. 
⚡Up to seven participants work together as a team for many months to create their unique solution to a Team Challenge. 
⚡Every year 6 unique and new challenges are put out in 6 different areas: Technical, Engineering, Fine Arts, Scientific, Improv and Public Service. Frequently, challenges also incorporate history, culture, literature, math, science, technology and the arts. 
⚡This year Maharishi School has 5 teams. We have 3 Elementary teams, 1 Middle School Team and 1 Upper School team.  2 teams choose to solve the Engineering Challenge, we have 1 Fine Arts team, 1 Improv team and 1 Technical team.
⚡Our first competition was a Regional Competition,Saturday, March 4th, in Pekin, Illinois. Our teams did very well, and we're preparing for the  bigger State Competition on March 25th in DeKalb, Illinois. 
Team Stats Elementary Level:
⚡Fine Arts Team- 3rd Place
⚡Improv Team- 3rd Place
⚡Engineering Team- 4th Place
Team Stats Middle Level:
⚡Engineering Team- 1st Place
Team Stats Secondary Level:
⚡Technical Team- 1st Place
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🍀Happy St. Patrick's Day🍀 🍀Happy St. Patrick's Day🍀
📝The whole school will be dismissed at lunchtim 📝The whole school will be dismissed at lunchtime today due to a Faculty Development session.
📝See you tomorrow morning!
🎨Maharishi School's 2nd grade students got to v 🎨Maharishi School's 2nd grade students got to visit the Wege Art Gallery at @maharishiu 
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📥Save the date for our March 13th Open House. 📥Save the date for our March 13th Open House.
😁We can't wait to see you!
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⚡️Our Upper School puts emphasis on project-ba ⚡️Our Upper School puts emphasis on project-based learning, this provides students with a platform for pursuing passions and testing original ideas under the mentorship of people who are skilled practitioners of their craft, whether in the pottery studio or the organic garden or the engineering laboratory.
Go to www.maharishischool.org/upper-school and apply to our program today!
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🌈At Maharishi Preschool we are cultivating with 🌈At Maharishi Preschool we are cultivating within each child a sense of independence and capability. 
🌈When the children enter into the gates of our playground carrying their lunch and wearing their backpack, a sense of responsibility, independence, and capability is enlivened in them.
🌈They know where to put their belongings and they know where they are when they need them or when it is time to go home. 
🌈During their time at school, they make many choices and their sense of capability grows each day. 
🌈They are following their internal drive to master skills, grow, and learn, and by allowing them to be responsible for their own belongings, these qualities will continue to be reinforced.
🌈The sense of pride when children feel responsible in these small but significant ways is such a beautiful thing to witness!
Go to www.maharishischool.org/preschool to see if our Preschool program is right for your child.
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🎉Our task is to design an academic program for 🎉Our task is to design an academic program for Upper School that is anchored in our core values yet aimed at equipping students to meet the future head-on, each to fulfill the purpose that is uniquely theirs.
🎉We also know that students maintain their focus and engagement through a wholesome lifestyle and the regular practice of transcendence, the foundation for living all of our core values.
🎉In this context, we strive to find a balance between innovative programs and traditional academic courses still informed by entrance requirements to the best colleges and universities in the US and abroad.
🎉Go to www.maharishischool.org to see if our program is right for you!
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Niche.com has ranked Maharishi the #1 Best Private Niche.com has ranked Maharishi the #1 Best Private High Schools in Iowa, #1 Best Private K-12 Schools in Iowa, and #1 Best Boarding High Schools in Iowa for five years in a row!
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🤩Speech Performance Tonight🤩 Our talented S 🤩Speech Performance Tonight🤩
Our talented Speech team will perform two Ensemble Acting pieces and their All-State Choral Reading, along with music by faculty Doug Daller and Lynwood King.
When: @ 7:30 pm
Where: Spayde Theater Fairfield, IA
$5 optional donation is appreciated
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