Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers for parents

Enrollment & Eligibility

Who can enroll in ISP?

Any Iowa student ages 5-18. We serve grades K-12. You must be an Iowa resident.

Is there an application process?

Yes. We want to make sure ISP is the right fit for your family. The application includes basic information about your student and a brief conversation with our team.

Is there a waitlist?

Depends on capacity. We're launching in August 2026 and accepting applications now.

Can out-of-state students enroll?

Not yet. We're focused on Iowa families for now. If you're interested from another state, let us know — we may expand.

Cost & ESA

How much does ISP cost?

Tuition is $7,988/year — exactly the Iowa ESA amount.

So it's free with ESA?

For most families, yes. The ESA covers 100% of tuition. You pay nothing out of pocket for academics.

What's NOT covered by ESA?

Athletic training, club fees, travel, equipment, uniforms, and food are not ESA-eligible. Those are out-of-pocket, just like at any school.

How do I apply for ESA?

Applications open in April at educateiowa.gov. We'll help you through the process. See our ESA Guide for details.

What if I don't qualify for ESA?

As of 2025, all Iowa families qualify — no income limits. But if for some reason you can't use ESA, contact us to discuss options.

Academics

Is 2 hours really enough?

Yes. Mastery-based learning is more efficient than traditional seat time. Students focus, complete work, prove understanding, and move on. No busywork.

What curriculum do you use?

We partner with Alpha School and use their TimeBack platform — a mastery-based system used by thousands of students nationally.

Is ISP accredited?

Yes. We're accredited by Cognia (a nationally recognized accrediting body) and registered with the Iowa Department of Education as a nonpublic school.

Will my child take state tests?

Yes. All ISP students take the ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) annually, just like public school students.

Can credits transfer to other schools?

Yes. We're an accredited school. Transcripts and credits are recognized.

Do you offer AP classes?

Yes, for high school students. Same rigor, same exams.

What about special needs or IEPs?

Contact us to discuss your child's specific needs. We can accommodate many situations but want to make sure we're the right fit.

Schedule & Logistics

What does a typical day look like?

Time	Activity
8:00 - 10:00 AM	Core academics (flexible start time)
10:00 - 11:00 AM	Life skills
11:00 AM onward	Training, practice, competition

Can my child start earlier or later?

Yes. The academic platform is available anytime. If your child has morning practice, they can do academics in the afternoon. It's flexible.

How does attendance work?

We track digital engagement and progress, not physical seat time. Your child needs to complete their daily academic work and stay on pace.

What if we're traveling for tournaments?

That's the point. Your child can do academics from anywhere with internet. No missing school for competitions.

Do you have a physical campus?

Not yet. ISP launches as a virtual school in August 2026. We may add physical locations in the future.

Athletics

Is ISP a sports academy?

ISP is a school that's built for athletes — not a training facility. We handle academics and life skills. You handle athletic training.

Do you provide coaches or trainers?

No. You keep your existing coaches, club team, and trainers. We just make sure school doesn't get in the way.

Do you have partnerships with training facilities?

Yes. We partner with facilities across Iowa for discounts and access. Plus, every ISP student gets $100/month in Training Credits ($1,000/year) to spend on training, equipment, and facility access. See our Training Credits Guide.

Can ISP students play on public school teams?

Yes! Iowa law (House File 189, signed June 2025) requires public schools to allow ISP students to participate in sports.

Here's how it works:

Requirement	Details
Residency	Live in the district (or a neighboring district)
Sport availability	The sport isn't offered by ISP (we don't offer any IHSAA sports, so all qualify)
Agreement	ISP handles the eligibility agreement with the district — you don't have to negotiate
Fees	You pay the same participation fees as any public school student

Bottom line: Your child can attend ISP AND play Friday night football, wrestle for their school, compete in basketball, volleyball — whatever their sport. ISP sets up the paperwork so you just show up to practice.

See our full Sports Access Guide for details.

Will my child fit in with their school team?

This is a real concern. Your child won't be in the hallways with teammates. They're "part of the team" at practice but not at lunch.

What helps:

Show up to everything — morning lifts, optional workouts, team dinners
Be undeniable in effort — outwork the perception of being an "outsider"
Your SSC will prep your child for team integration before the season starts

The ISP advantage: Your child has more time and energy for team bonding because they're not exhausted from 7 hours of traditional school.

Does my child have to follow the public school's rules too?

Yes. Under HF 189, your child must follow both ISP's code of conduct AND the public school's athletic code of conduct. Two sets of rules, both enforced. This includes academic eligibility checks, behavior standards, and team rules.

What about morning lifts?

Many serious programs (football, wrestling, basketball) expect athletes at 6:00-7:30 AM for strength & conditioning. This is in addition to afternoon practice.

ISP advantage: Morning lifts → 2 hours of academics → rest/recover → afternoon practice. Your child is fresh while traditional school athletes are running on fumes after 7 hours of class.

What about Training Credits?

Every ISP student receives $100/month ($1,000/year) in Training Credits. Use them for:

Gym sessions and facility access
Training equipment
Wearables (WHOOP, heart rate monitors)
ISP Group Lessons with professional coaches

It's part of ISP's curriculum — not a rebate. See our Training Credits Guide.

What sports do you focus on?

All of them. ISP is sport-agnostic. Our curriculum applies to basketball, football, soccer, baseball, softball, swimming, golf, tennis, volleyball, gymnastics, dance, wrestling, track, and more.

The MyPath App

What is MyPath?

A gamified progress tracker. Instead of report cards, your child has a Player Card with an overall rating (0-99 OVR) that improves as they develop.

Is it mandatory?

The tracking is part of ISP. How much your child engages with the gamification is up to them.

Can parents see progress?

Yes. Parents get a dashboard showing OVR, skill ratings, streaks, and completion status.

What about privacy?

Student data stays within ISP. You control whether to share your child's profile externally (with coaches, recruiters, etc.).

See our MyPath Guide for more details.

Student Success Coaches

What is a Student Success Coach (SSC)?

Your child's dedicated accountability partner and mentor. Every ISP student is assigned an SSC who:

Knows your child personally (only 100 students per SSC)
Does weekly check-ins
Monitors progress and intervenes early if needed
Communicates with you regularly

See our full Meet Your SSC guide.

Who are the SSCs?

Former college athletes who understand the student-athlete life. They're young, relatable, and trained by ISP.

Can I choose my child's SSC?

Yes. You choose your SSC — it's not an assignment. During enrollment, you'll browse SSC profiles, have conversations, and pick the one that fits. If your first choice is full (100 students max), you'll choose from available SSCs.

How do I reach my child's SSC?

Direct text, email, or scheduled calls. Response within 24 hours (usually faster).

Life Skills & Persona Learning

What is persona-based learning?

Instead of "learn about resilience," we say "learn from Dan Gable — how an Olympic champion built his mindset." Students study real legends across nutrition, psychology, and finance.

See our full Life Skills Learning guide.

What are persona challenges?

Real commitments tied to real legends. Example: "The Gable Challenge" — wake up at 6am for 14 days and train. Completing challenges earns badges and OVR boosts.

Does my child have to create content?

Part of mastery is teaching others. Students create short videos or posts explaining what they learned ("You Teach"). This builds their personal brand while deepening learning.

What's the 100 for 100 program?

Academic incentive: Score 100% proficient on the ISASP test → win $100. Funded by athlete donations — not ESA money.

This is what we mean by "the school where the pros are rooting for you." Real athletes investing in YOUR child's academic success.

What's the Pro Feed?

Exclusive daily content from partner athletes — like Instagram stories, but from the pros. Morning routines, meal prep, training clips, pre-game thoughts, post-game reflections. Raw, real, daily life — so students see what elite actually looks like.

Community & Support

Is there a parent community?

Yes. All ISP families are invited to a private Facebook group where parents connect, ask questions, and support each other.

Who do I contact with questions?

Your SSC: First point of contact for everything
Email: hello@iowasportsprep.com
Facebook group: Connect with other parents

What if my child is struggling?

Your SSC monitors progress and reaches out before problems get big. If extra academic help is needed, they loop in a Learning Coach (Iowa-licensed teacher).

The Enrollment Journey (MyParent)

What is MyParent?

MyParent is ISP's gamified parent onboarding system. Instead of just filling out forms, you complete a knowledge journey — watching videos, taking quizzes, and proving you understand the ISP model.

Think of it like leveling up in a video game. You earn a Parent OVR (0-99 rating) as you learn about ISP.

Why do I have to "qualify"?

We want aligned families, not just any families. Parents who complete MyParent understand:

How the 2-hour academic model works
What the ESA covers (and doesn't)
How to support their child at home
What to expect from the SSC relationship

No surprises = better outcomes for your child.

What's the 80 OVR requirement?

To unlock enrollment, you need to reach 80+ Parent OVR. This takes most families 2-3 hours total, spread across several sessions.

OVR Range	Status
0-49	Exploring — still learning
50-79	Learning — almost there
80-89	Qualified — can enroll
90-99	Elite Parent — community leader

Is this weird? Do I have "homework"?

It's actually fun. Parents tell us they learn things they wish they'd known earlier — about ESAs, about learning science, about supporting student-athletes. And yes, your kid might think it's cool that their parents had to "qualify."

Getting Started

How do I apply?

Create a MyParent account on our website
Complete the knowledge journey (videos, quizzes, SSC intro call)
Reach 80+ Parent OVR to unlock enrollment
Pay $100 deposit to lock in your SSC
Set up your ESA (we help you through this)
Get started in August

When does the school year start?

August 2026 for our first cohort. Applications are open now.

What's the deadline to apply?

Rolling admissions, but we recommend applying early — especially for ESA setup, which needs to happen before July.

Still Have Questions?

Email: hello@iowasportsprep.com
Docs: Browse the other pages in this section
Facebook Group: Ask current families (once enrolled)

We're here to help.