About LA GATOR
The Louisiana Giving All True Opportunity to Rise (LA GATOR) Scholarship Program, created by Act 1 of the 2024 Louisiana Legislature and signed into law by Governor Jeff Landry, provides eligible families with education scholarship accounts (ESAs). These accounts allow families to personalize their child’s education using state-funded accounts for school tuition and fees, tutoring, educational therapies, textbooks and curricula, dual enrollment courses, and uniforms.
Program Funding
Governor Jeff Landry requested nearly $100 million to fund the first year of the LA GATOR Scholarship Program. The Legislature approved $43.5 million, which is expected to support scholarships for approximately 6,000 eligible students.
- Roughly 5,200 scholarships will go to students who participated in the Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP) during the 2024–2025 school year. These families have now received notification. We will follow up as soon as possible with additional details about the upcoming launch of the LA GATOR marketplace and next steps.
- An estimated 800 additional scholarships will go to other high-priority Phase 1 applicants who are not currently in the LSP, such as students from low-income families and students with disabilities. These awards will be prioritized based on when applications were submitted.
What Families Should Know
Eligible Louisiana Scholarship Program applicants have received notifications through the Odyssey platform.
Other eligible families should continue checking their Odyssey account and lagator.la.gov for updates as additional scholarships are awarded based on prioritization criteria and available funds.
Eligibility does not guarantee funding or school placement. There are a limited number of scholarships, and the vast majority are being awarded to students from the Louisiana Scholarship Program.
Families must work directly with participating schools to complete enrollment.
Registration or reservation fees may be required by schools. These cannot be paid or reimbursed with LA GATOR funds and must be handled by families if they choose to move forward prior to knowing their funding status.
Have a backup plan in place for the 2025–2026 school year, especially if you are not a Louisiana Scholarship Program family. Not all eligible students will receive funding.
Who’s Eligible for LA GATOR?
To be eligible for the LA GATOR Scholarship Program, a student must:
Live in Louisiana
Be at least 5 years old (but not older than 21) by September 30, 2025
Meet one of the following:Participated in the Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP) during the 2024–2025 school yearIs entering kindergartenWas enrolled in a public school on both October 1 and February 1 of the 2024–2025 school yearComes from a household with income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level
Eligibility must be reverified each year to continue in the program.
How Much Can Students Receive?
The amount a student can receive depends on family income and disability status. Awards are calculated using a percentage of Louisiana’s average state and local per-pupil funding.
Here’s what students may receive for the 2025–2026 school year:
- Up to $15,253 for students with a qualifying disability (tiered by disability type)
- $7,626 for students from families earning ≤250% of the federal poverty level
- $5,243 for other eligible students
Louisiana Scholarship Program students who remain at their current school will continue receiving the same amount they were awarded in 2024–2025, until they complete that school’s final grade or leave the school.
All awards are contingent on final funding decisions made by the Legislature and Governor.
How Are Students Prioritized for Funding?
The LA GATOR Scholarship Program is funded annually by the Louisiana Legislature. If there is not enough funding to cover every eligible student, awards are prioritized in this order:
- Students currently in the Louisiana Scholarship Program or LA GATOR
- Students with a disability under IDEA or from families earning ≤250% of the federal poverty level
- Siblings of current LA GATOR or LSP students
- All other eligible students
If multiple students fall in the same priority group, applications are ordered by submission timestamp. Students who applied earlier within the window are prioritized over later applicants.
What Can LA GATOR Funds Be Used For?
Families participating in the LA GATOR Scholarship Program can use their funds for the following approved education expenses. Please note all purchases and tuition payments will be completed through the Odyssey Platform and families cannot be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses.
Tuition or fees at a participating nonpublic school or for nonpublic online learning programs
Curricula and textbooks or other instructional materials, including but not limited to supplemental materials or online instruction required by a participating nonpublic school or service provider
Tuition, fees, instructional materials, and examination fees at a career or technical school
Fees for assessments approved by the LDOE, Advanced Placement examinations, CLEP examinations, International Baccalaureate examinations, and other examinations related to postsecondary education institution admission
Educational services and therapies, including but not limited to occupational, behavioral, physical, speech-language, and audiology therapies
Tuition and fees at a postsecondary education institution providing instruction for a student participating in dual enrollment
Tutoring provided by a tutor or a tutoring service
Services contracted for and provided by a participating public school, including, but not limited to, individual classes and extracurricular activities and programs
Computer hardware or other technological devices primarily used to help meet a student’s educational needs
Educational software applications
School uniforms
Tuition or fees for summer education programs and before or after-school education or childcare programs that offer academic support
Parent navigation services, including professional consultations to assist parents with the selection of, application for, and enrollment in educational services addressing the academic needs of students, curriculum selection, and advice on career and postsecondary education opportunities
Any other educational supplies or expenses approved by BESE
