Paying for Education

Poll Shows Nationwide Parental Support for Publicly Funded State-Based Education Programs

• By Kate Lucariello
• 11/09/23

A recent nationwide poll by state-based education funding company Odyssey showed that a majority (73%) of parents want access to publicly funded, state-based K–12 education programs. These include Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), microgrants, and other funding.

The poll, commissioned by Odyssey, was conducted by John Zogby Strategies of 2,714 parents of K–12 students 17 and under across nine states where ESAs are relevant. States polled were Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Utah. Surveys were collected from Sept. 1-5, 2023.

Significant findings show that:

• In three of the states that do not currently offer ESAs, Alabama, California, and Pennsylvania, over 70% of parents said they wanted such funding available, and 64% said they would apply for it.

• Direct digital access to funding and information is preferred by 77% of parents.

• Response on ESA eligibility in seconds is preferred by 87% of parents.

• The ESA program having a positive impact on their children was reported by 80% of parents.

• The majority of parents (80%) said they would prefer to use a computer or mobile device to complete funding applications.

"The results are crystal clear: parents are advocating for more accessible and adaptable education funding options to support their students," said John Zogby, co-founder of John Zogby Strategies, who conducted the poll. "These new findings should show states across the country that education saving accounts and microgrants play a central role in providing parents with the resources they are seeking for their children. On top of that, parents clearly want easy and modern technology tools at their fingertips."

For more information on this poll and to download executive summary, visit the Odyssey poll results page.