ESA INFO

What is an ESA?  

An Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) is an account administered by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and funded by state tax dollars to provide education options for qualified Arizona students.

An ESA consists of 90% of the state funding that would have otherwise been allocated to the school district or charter school for the qualified student (does not include federal or local funding). By accepting an ESA, the student's parent or guardian is signing a contract agreeing to provide an education that includes at least the following subjects: reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies and science.  ESA funding can be used to pay private school tuition, for curriculum, home education, tutoring and more.

 

ESA Allowable Expenses for All Students

Tuition or fees at a qualified school

• Textbooks required by a qualified school

• Tutoring or teaching services provided by an individual or facility accredited by a state, regional or national accrediting organization

• Curricula and supplementary materials

• Tuition or fees for a nonpublic online learning program

• Fees for a nationally standardized norm-referenced achievement test, an advanced placement examination or any exams related to college or university admission

• Tuition or fees at an eligible postsecondary institution

•Textbooks required by an eligible postsecondary institution

• Fees to manage the Arizona empowerment scholarship account

• Services provided by a public school, including individual classes and extracurricular programs • Insurance or surety bond payments

• Uniforms purchased from or through a qualified school

• Public transportation services in this state, including:  Commuter pass, transportation network services (i.e. taxi services & ridesharing), public bus or a vanpool service between the student's residence and a qualified school in which the qualified student is enrolled

• Computer hardware and technological devices primarily used for an educational purpose such as calculators, personal computers, laptops, tablet devices, microscopes, telescopes and printers

Reference: ARS 15-2402

Are there application deadlines?  ESA accepts applications online year-round and the scholarship amount awarded is divided into four quarterly disbursements.

Q1:  July 1 - September 30

Q2:  October 1 - December 31

Q3:  January 1 - March 31

Q4:  April 1 - June 30

New ESA Parent Information

https://www.azed.gov/esa/frequently-asked-questions