Idaho’s Advanced Opportunities program grew last school year — in terms of enrollment, and payments to students.

In all, 49,163 students used Advanced Opportunities money in 2024-25, according to a recent Idaho Department of Education report to the Legislature.

That’s about a 9% increase in enrollment from the previous school year.

Meanwhile, payments to students reached nearly $32 million last school year, more than a 10% increase.

Advanced Opportunities provides seventh- through 12th-grade students with a line of credit they can use to pay for college-level dual credit courses, exams and overload classes. Public and charter school students can now receive up to $4,625, under a 2024 law that lifted the cap by $500. Nearly 1,250 students took advantage of this increased cap, according to the Education Department report.

The vast majority of the Advanced Opportunities payments — some $25.9 million — went toward dual-credit classes.

The Education Department report also breaks down Advanced Opportunities enrollment and payments by district and charter school.

Nearly 97% of Meridian Medical Arts Charter School students signed up for Advanced Opportunities, ranking No. 1 in the state.

Students in West Ada, the state’s largest school district, received by far the largest share of Advanced Opportunities payments, at nearly $4.6 million.

Kevin Richert

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 35 years of experience in Idaho journalism, and extensive experience covering state politics and the Legislature. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television. He can be reached at krichert@idahoednews.org

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