Participating and Potential Families

LA GATOR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Welcome, LA GATOR Families

The LA GATOR Scholarship Program empowers families to customize their child’s education. This page includes everything you need to know about eligibility, funding levels, and award prioritization for the 2025–2026 school year.

Still have questions?

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Email Help Desk: help.la@withodyssey.com
Call Center: 225-422-1538

LA GATOR Frequently Asked Questions

Latest Update on LA GATOR

May 12, 2025 – Legislative Budget Hearings Underway

The LA GATOR Scholarship Program is still awaiting key decisions related to funding and program operations for the 2025–2026 school year.

House Appropriations Committee:

The Louisiana House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to hear House Bill 1 on May 12. This bill provides for the ordinary operating expenses of state government for Fiscal Year 2025–2026, including the Governor’s proposed $93 million allocation for LA GATOR. This hearing is an important step in the legislative process as the state budget moves forward.

Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget (JLCB):

The JLCB met on April 23 but did not take action on the proposed amendment to extend the program's management contract. You can view the agenda and meeting video online. The committee is expected to reconsider the amendment at its next meeting in May. The contract must be extended to operate the program for the upcoming school year.

Legislative Funding Decisions:

Governor Jeff Landry has proposed a $93 million appropriation for LA GATOR. If approved by the Louisiana Legislature, the funding would provide scholarships for an estimated 12,000 students, starting with students currently enrolled in the Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP).
Of the proposed funding, $43 million is designated for approximately 5,300 current LSP students, who are the highest priority for LA GATOR scholarships. Any remaining funds will then be used to support additional priority groups.

Student Applications:

The application window for the 2025–2026 school year closed on April 15.
Nearly 40,000 student applications were received.
Nearly 35,000 students have been determined eligible.
The number of eligible students to receive funds will depend on the amount of funding approved during the 2025 Regular Legislative Session, which is scheduled to conclude by June 12.

Priority Status Notifications:

Families will be notified of their child’s priority status and suggested next steps before the end of April.

Important Reminders for Families

Eligibility does not guarantee funding. Final awards will depend on the state budget outcome.
Eligibility does not guarantee acceptance into a nonpublic school. Enrollment is managed by each individual school. Families should contact schools directly with questions.
Award notifications will be issued after the budget is finalized.
Families are encouraged to stay in touch with their selected schools about enrollment steps should they receive funding and possible upfront registration or reservation fees. These fees are the responsibility of the family and cannot be paid or reimbursed with LA GATOR funds.

We are committed to keeping families informed every step of the way. A new update will be posted each week, even if there is no major change in status.

Next update expected: May 19, 2025

Who’s Eligible

To qualify for the LA GATOR Scholarship Program, your student must:

Be a Louisiana resident
Be between the ages of 5 and 21 by September 30, 2025
And meet one of the following:
- Participated in the Louisiana Scholarship Program during the 2024–2025 school year
- Participated in LA GATOR during the previous school year
- Is entering kindergarten
- Was enrolled in a public school for both October 1 and February 1 of the 2024–2025 school year
- Comes from a household with income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level

Reverification required: Eligibility must be reverified each year to continue participation.

Eligibility ends if the student:

Enrolls full-time in a public school
Moves out of Louisiana
Provides fraudulent information
Graduates or withdraws from school
Has an inactive account for two consecutive years

Funding Prioritization For Eligible Students

Funding for student accounts is subject to annual legislative appropriation of state funds. If allocated funds are insufficient to fund all eligible students, awards shall be prioritized as follows:

Students currently in the Louisiana Scholarship Program or LA GATOR
Students with a disability (IDEA) or family income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level
Siblings of current LA GATOR or LSP participants
All other eligible students

Applications submitted earlier within the window are prioritized over later submissions within the same category.

Award Amounts

Student awards are based on a percentage of the prior year’s Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) per-pupil funding. For 2025–2026, students may receive:

Up to $15,253 for students with a verified disability (IDEA)
$7,626 for students from households earning ≤250% of the federal poverty level
$5,243 for all other eligible students

LSP Students who stay at their current school will continue receiving their 2024–2025 LSP award amount until they finish the school’s final grade or leave the school.

Special Education Funding Tiers

A student is considered eligible for special education funding under LA GATOR if the student is currently eligible for special education and related services as a student with a disability pursuant to Louisiana’s Education of Students with Exceptionalities Act, R.S. 17:1941 et seq. A valid evaluation and/or IEP developed by a Local Educational Agency (as defined in R.S. 17:1942) is required as proof of a student’s current eligibility.

Tiered funding will be determined by the student’s disability as verified in the LDOE’s internal system using the student’s LASID and the family income as verified through the Odyssey platform’s verification process.

Students with a disability that are from families with an income at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPL) will be able to receive funds in addition to the amounts received for students with a disability that are from families above 250% of the FPL.

Please refer to the charts below that detail exceptionalities by tier and the tiered funding calculation.

Exceptionalities Tier

Tier 1 Exceptionalities	Tier 2 Exceptionalities	Tier 3 Exceptionalities
Speech or Language Impairment Specific Learning Disability Intellectual disability (mild) Developmental Delay Emotional Disturbance Other Health Impairment Autism	Intellectual disability (moderate or severe) Deaf or Hard of Hearing Orthopedic Impairment Visual Impairment (partial sight)	Traumatic Brain Injury Multiple Disabilities Deaf-Blindness Visual Impairment (blindness)

Tiered Funding Calculation

	Base Amount	250% FPL Adder	Special Education Tier Funding	Total Funding per Student
At or below 250% FPL with a Tier 1 evaluation	$5,243.00	$2,383.00	$2,621.50	$10,247.50
At or below 250% FPL with a Tier 2 evaluation	$5,243.00	$2,383.00	$3,932.25	$11,558.25
At or below 250% FPL with a Tier 3 evaluation	$5,243.00	$2,383.00	$7,627.00	$15,253.00
Above 250% FPL with a Tier 1 evaluation	$5,243.00	$0	$2,621.50	$7,864.50
Above 250% FPL with a Tier 2 evaluation	$5,243.00	$0	$3,932.25	$9,175.25
Above 250% FPL with a Tier 3 evaluation	$5,243.00	$0	$7,627.00	$12,870.00

Special Education Tier Funding Explanation

Tier 1: $2,621.50 (50% of the base)
Tier 2: $3,932.25 (75% of the base)
Tier 3: $7,627.00 (145% of the base)

The maximum amount that a student with disabilities can be awarded is $15,253 based on the calculation methodology in the act.

Need More Answers?

We’ve moved our family-specific FAQs to the main LA GATOR FAQ page, where you’ll find categorized answers about:

Tuition and payments
Registration fees
Income documentation
Public school enrollment
Assessment requirements
And more!