An overwhelmingly majority of parents want ease of access to publicly funded education programs, including Education Savings Accounts (ESAs).

A vast majority of parents (80%) who have applied and participated in an Educational Savings Account (ESA) program reported that ESAs have resulted in a positive impact for their child.

ESAs have bipartisan support with 71% of residents in California and 67% in Alabama in favor of establishing ESA programs. These high margins of support remain consistent across geographic and racial demographic groups in both states, showing support across political, racial, and geographic constituencies.

Although back-to-school paperwork does not appear to be a burden to most parents, when determining eligibility for funding, parents place a premium on convenience and speed. This is reinforced by 77% of parents preferring technological solutions enabling direct access to funding for their child.

Among the surveyed states that do not currently offer publicly funded ESAs — Alabama, Pennsylvania, and California — over 70% of parents said they want ESAs to be made available in their state, and 64% said they would apply for ESA support if available.

One critical component of ESAs appears to be the ease of the application and user experience process. In states with active ESA programs, 80% of parents would prefer accessing ESA funding through a one-stop technology platform.

The great majority (80%) of respondents supporting ESAs preferred completing applications using a computer or mobile device over analogue methods, with 87% preferring a process that approves eligibility in seconds.