House budget committee presses treasurer on $50 million general‑revenue request for Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts

JEFFERSON CITY — State Treasurer Vivek Malik told the Missouri House Budget Committee during the office’s fiscal‑year 2026 hearing that the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Account Program (MESAP) is expanding rapidly and reiterated that his office will implement the legislature’s direction on how to spend a governor‑proposed $50 million general‑revenue transfer.

The MESAP discussion dominated the treasurer’s appearance as representatives raised questions about program scale, reporting requirements, the role of Educational Assistance Organizations (EAOs) and an intermediary vendor, Class Wallet. Malik described program growth and parental satisfaction rates but said the treasurer’s office will wait for legislative instruction before allocating general revenue.

The committee heard that MESAP and its implementing partners have recorded rapid increases in demand. Malik told the committee that during the year the treasurer’s office has seen strong take‑up and that, "The continuous growth of the program shows that there is a lot of interest across Missouri for this program." He summarized program metrics the office tracks: parental satisfaction reported at about 95% in the first program year and 98% in the second, roughly 2,677 students awarded scholarships in the last reported school year, and program‑related 529 deposits crossing $4.5 billion with over 96,000 accounts in the state 529 plan.

Lawmakers focused most of their questions on how the governor’s proposed $50 million would be used and whether the treasurer’s office or the legislature would…