Arizona: Empowerment Scholarship Accounts

Typical ESA students receive between $7,000 and $8,000 annually, distributed quarterly. Students with special needs, as identified by a current Individualized Education Plan (IEP), Multidisciplinary Education Team (MET) Evaluation Report, or 504 Plan, qualify for additional funding based on their specific eligibility category, often exceeding the statewide per-pupil average base funding amount.

For the 2024-2025 school year, Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) provide funding at 90% of the state-s per-pupil base funding for schools. Due to the significant number of ESA students with special needs, the average ESA awareness in 2024-2025 is higher than the standard per-pupil funding.

• Income Limit: None
• Prior Year Public School Requirement: None
• Testing Mandate: None
• Special Needs Pathway: Universal eligibility, with priority for students with special needs
• Homeschool Compatibility: Compatible

Any student residing in Arizona and eligible to attend public school can apply for an Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account. This program is open to students in grades K-12. Preschoolers with a Multidisciplinary Education Team (MET) Evaluation Report, an Individualized Education (IEP), or a 504 plan are also eligible to join. However, students receiving scholarships from Arizona’s tuition tax credit programs participate in the ESA.

Visit ESA Applicant Portal and create an account if you haven’t registered yet.

1. Fill out the application which includes basic personal information and have the following required documents ready to upload:

1. Proof of residency
2. Birth certificate
3. Proof of eligibility for an IEP or 504 Plan

Funds from an Education Savings Account (ESA) can be used for approved expenses in the following categories:

• Tuition and/or fees at a qualified school and required textbooks
• Tutoring and teaching services
• Curricula and supplementary material
• Feeds to manage the account
• Tuition or fees for a nonpublic online learning program
• Fees for national norm-refered testing and grade level testing
• Tuition and/or fees at an eligible postsecondary institution and the purchase of required textbooks
• Services provided by a public school
• Uniforms
• Transportation Services
• Computer hardware and technological devices.

Families must keep proper documentation of all ESA-related purchases and submit them through ClassWallet, either by uploading recipes, using VendorPay, or shopping directly through the ClassWallet Marketplace.

ESA funds roll over to the next year as long as the student remains enrolled in the ESA program and is in good standing. Any unused funds roll over to the next school year and can be used for future educational expenses. Upon high school graduation or obtaining a GED, disbursements will cease, but the funds are yours for any approved expenses listed over the next four years.

Additional Program Guidelines

• Enrollment Cap: None
• Account Cap: Approximately 100% of charter school funding or 90% of district school funding
• Budget Cap: None

Participant and Family Guidelines

• Education Requirements: Students must receive education in reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies, and science.
• Parent Supplemented Funds/Scholarships: Allowed
• Reimbursement: Subject to approval based on alignment of expenses
• Miscellaneous:

• Cannot accept scholarships from Arizona’s tax-credit scholarship programs.
• ESA funds must be used for purposes specified in law and spent on basic education subjects
• Students cannot be enrolled in a district or charter school.
• Parents must release district schools from any obligation to educate the student
• ESA are subject to audits

Education Provider Guidelines

• Accreditation/Approval: State, regional, or national
• Employment Standards:

• Finger printing hired tutors, instructors, or other individuals who have unsupervised contact with their children for background checks
• If parent employs a paraprofession this person must meet one of the following:

• Hold an associate’s degree or higher
• Have 60 or more college credit hours from an accredited institution
• Pass one of three approved paraprofessional tests

• Calendar/Curriculum/Attendance:

• Provide a complete course of study that covers the required subjects appropriate for the student’s grade level.
• Maintain attendance records/ensure the student is receiving consistent instruction

Ariz. Rev. Stat. §§ 15-2401 through 2404

(Last updated July 15, 2024)