House Bill 1020 makes two main changes. First, it expands the allowable uses of Personal Education Student Account (PESA) scholarship funds so families may pay for education-related support services provided by a one-to-one classroom aide for an eligible student enrolled in a Part 1 or Part 2 nonpublic school. The bill defines a one-to-one classroom aide as someone with at least a high school diploma or equivalent who supports the student in the classroom and other educational settings as needed at the request of the school. It also bars the aide from serving other students during the instructional day and excludes certain relatives of the student, as well as employees or contractors of the school, from serving in that role for PESA reimbursement purposes.
Second, the bill appropriates state funds for the Children of Wartime Veterans Scholarship Program. It provides $1 million in nonrecurring General Fund support for fiscal year 2025-26 to restore or increase award amounts for the 2025-26 academic year up to the full amounts otherwise permitted, and to fund additional scholarships if money remains. It then appropriates $7 million in recurring funds for fiscal year 2026-27 to support additional scholarships beginning that academic year. The PESA changes apply beginning with the 2026-27 school year, while the scholarship funding provisions take effect on the dates specified in the bill.
The bill would amend North Carolina’s PESA statutes in Chapter 115C by adding a new qualifying expense category and by narrowing certain prohibited uses, while also modifying the administration of scholarship reimbursements for nonpublic school tuition. It would also affect the State Education Assistance Authority, which administers these scholarship programs, and the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, which receives the appropriations for the wartime veterans scholarship program.
Because there are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided materials, there is no documented floor debate or formal vote sentiment to assess. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to combine school-choice support with targeted aid for veterans’ families, suggesting a generally favorable policy direction for both private-education assistance and scholarship funding.
The main points of potential contention are likely to center on the expansion of public scholarship funds to pay for one-to-one classroom aides in nonpublic schools, including questions about oversight, eligibility, and whether such services should be publicly subsidized in private-school settings. Another possible issue is the new state spending commitment, especially the recurring $7 million appropriation for wartime veterans’ children scholarships, which could draw scrutiny over budget priorities and long-term fiscal impact.
HB1020 would amend the state’s PESA scholarship law in Chapter 115C to expressly allow scholarship funds to be used for education-related support services from a one-to-one classroom aide in eligible nonpublic schools, while also setting limits on who may serve in that role and requiring school documentation. It would also create or expand state appropriations for the Children of Wartime Veterans Scholarship Program through the University of North Carolina and the State Education Assistance Authority, increasing scholarship awards and adding funding for additional recipients. The bill affects families using PESA accounts, nonpublic schools, classroom aides, the State Education Assistance Authority, and children of wartime veterans seeking scholarships.
The available record shows no committee testimony or votes, so there is no direct evidence of support or opposition from legislators in the provided materials. The bill’s structure suggests a broadly supportive posture toward school-choice funding and veterans’ education assistance, with the policy goals framed as expanding educational options and strengthening scholarship support. Any sentiment assessment is therefore limited to the bill’s text, which presents both provisions as affirmative expansions of existing programs.
Likely areas of contention include whether PESA funds should cover one-to-one classroom aides in private or nonpublic schools, how to prevent conflicts of interest when aides are excluded if they are relatives or school employees, and whether the State should subsidize these services through scholarship accounts. The appropriations for wartime veterans’ children scholarships may also be debated on fiscal grounds, particularly the shift to recurring funding in 2026-27 and the use of General Fund dollars for additional awards.