Veteran Family Uses CHOOSE Act for Daughter's Schooling
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey highlighted a veteran mother's use of the state's education savings account program for her first-grade daughter.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Homeschooling
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Governor Kay Ivey highlighted Shalice Washington, a U.S. veteran and full-time college student, who uses the Alabama CHOOSE Act to help pay for her daughter Kimora's education at Trinity Presbyterian School in Montgomery. Currently 34,322 eligible students are using CHOOSE Act funds for approved educational expenses.
Why it matters
The CHOOSE Act gives families education savings accounts for approved K-12 costs, and demand has grown sharply, with a record 29,341 applications for the 2026-27 academic year. Beginning with the 2027-28 school year, the program will be open to Alabama families regardless of income.
The program covers tuition, textbooks, school supplies, tutoring, educational software and other approved expenses. Program figures for the current year show 34,322 eligible students using funds, with a record 48,927 students represented in applications for 2026-27.
The players
Kay Ivey
Kay Ivey is the Governor of Alabama, who highlighted the Washington family's use of the CHOOSE Act.
CHOOSE Act
The CHOOSE Act is Alabama's education savings account program that helps families pay approved K-12 educational expenses.
The details
Shalice Washington, a veteran pursuing an undergraduate degree in health information management with a GPA near 4.0, uses the CHOOSE Act to pay for her daughter's education. Kimora Washington, a first-grader, is performing ahead in reading and math.
Timeline
2026-27 academic year: record 29,341 applications received for the program.
January 4, 2027: applications for the 2027-28 school year open.
March 31, 2027: applications for the 2027-28 school year close.
2027-28 academic year: program opens to Alabama families regardless of income.
Policy Trajectory
The CHOOSE Act has moved from income-limited eligibility this school year toward opening to all Alabama families regardless of income beginning in 2027-28. The record 29,341 applications for 2026-27 show demand already outpacing the current eligibility rules.
Families in Alabama who want to use education savings funds for approved K-12 expenses should watch the January 4, 2027 opening for 2027-28 applications. Beginning in 2027-28, eligibility will no longer depend on income, which may change planning for households that previously did not qualify.
The takeaway
Families considering alternative K-12 options should track the 2027-28 application window, which opens January 4, 2027 and closes March 31, 2027. Planning early may matter given the record demand seen this year.
What happens next
Applications for the 2027-28 school year open January 4, 2027, and close March 31, 2027.
Further reading
Explore more on Homeschooling and how families across Alabama are planning their children's education.
More information
Review CHOOSE Act eligibility and application information for program details.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Wiregrass Daily News.
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