Full-time school or home-based: pick one
A student enrolled full-time at an approved school uses the account for that school's tuition and fees. A home-based student uses it in the marketplace: online courses, curriculum, tutoring, licensed therapy, testing fees, dual enrollment and technology, each bought through Odyssey from a registered provider. There's no reimbursement for purchases made elsewhere.
The registration trap
Louisiana homeschoolers typically register with the state either as a BESE-approved home study program or as a nonpublic school not seeking approval. A student can't hold either registration and be in LA GATOR at the same time. New Orleans families who have homeschooled for years sometimes lose an award over this. Call the LA GATOR line (225-422-1538) before you apply so you know what you'd be giving up and how to time the change.
Where New Orleans families spend it
- An accredited online core program (see the online Christian school option)
- Tutoring, including test prep ahead of 8th-grade placement tests
- Dual-enrollment courses at Delgado, UNO or Southeastern for high schoolers
- Speech, OT and behavioral therapy from licensed New Orleans providers
- ACT, SAT and AP fees (AP capped at $100)
- Laptops, tablets and learning software, within the published caps
Timing
Deposits arrive quarterly, so a laptop or a full-year curriculum order often waits for the second deposit. Plan the year in four parts and keep receipts inside the platform.
Co-ops and hybrids
Several New Orleans churches host weekday co-ops or hybrid programs. A co-op can only be paid from the account if it registers as a marketplace provider; ask before you assume. A hybrid school on the BESE list is treated as full-time enrollment.