Americans nearly 7x as likely to support ESAs than to oppose them

Support for a choice policy that would allow families to direct a portion of the education dollars allocated by the state for their child toward a variety of educational services remains high among school parents (74 percent) and the public (69 percent).

A recent national July poll conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of EdChoice asked respondents if they supported Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) in K-12 education. Respondents were provided the following definition of ESAs: “An ‘education savings account’ in K-12 education — often called an ESA — establishes for parents a government-authorized savings account with restricted, but multiple uses for educational purposes. Parents can then use these funds to pay for: school tuition; tutoring; online education programs; therapies for students with special needs; textbooks or other instructional materials; or save for future college expenses.”

Support for ESAs is not only high but diverse, as well, points out Colyn Ritter with EdChoice. Some of the most supportive groups include “Republicans (73%), liberal/progressive respondents (73%), respondents who are first-generation immigrants (72%), among others.”

This tracks with results from our February 2025 Thinking Minnesota Poll, which found strong and broad support among Minnesotans for the concept of ESAs — including a plurality of Democrats, majority of independents, majority of parents and non-parents, and a majority of Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota residents.

Legislation was introduced during the 2025 legislative session that would establish an ESA program in Minnesota. While it did not receive a hearing, thousands of Minnesotans reached out to their legislators and Gov. Tim Walz encouraging them to support the policy proposal. How would a $7,000 ESA change your child’s education experience?