Arizona

How it works

Arizona runs the country’s oldest and broadest ESA. Funds that would have gone to a public school are placed in an account the parent directs. The Arizona Department of Education administers it, and awarded funds appear in a ClassWallet account that can pay approved vendors directly, issue a prepaid card, or reimburse you.

Programme

Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA)

Administered by

ClassWallet

Amount

Set by law at 90% of what the state would pay a charter school for that student, so it varies by grade and by any disability. Paid quarterly.

For homeschoolers

Homeschoolers can use it

Who qualifies

Universal — the programme is open to all Arizona K-12 students. The 2026 legislative session ended in June without changing the programme, so eligibility for 2026-27 is unchanged.

How to apply

1. Confirm your child is eligible for this year — see "Who qualifies" above.
2. Check this year's window. Applications are accepted year-round; awards run on the school year and are paid quarterly. Dates move every year, so confirm on the official page before you plan around them.
3. Create a parent account on the official portal and start the application.
4. Have your documents ready. Most programmes want proof of residency, the child's birth certificate, and an IEP or eligibility determination if the programme is disability-based.
5. Once you're approved, spend it. Search the ClassWallet marketplace for Historical Conquest.

Official programme page: azsbe.az.gov/parents/empowerment-scholarship-account-esa-program. Amounts, deadlines and eligibility are set by the state and change every year — always confirm there before you plan around them.

Sources

Checked 18 September 2026 against these sources:

• azleg.gov/…/02402.htm
• azed.gov/esa
• azsbe.az.gov/parents/empowerment-scholarship-account-esa-program