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The Arkansas Education Freedom Account, created by the LEARNS Act of 2023, gives families state funds for approved educational expenses such as private school tuition, homeschool curriculum, tutoring, and educational therapies. Every K-12 student in Arkansas is eligible regardless of income, and most participants will receive $7,208 for the 2026-27 school year, which equals 90 percent of the prior year's per-student foundation funding. The Arkansas Department of Education administers the program with ClassWallet as the spending platform, and the 2026-27 application and renewal window ran March 9 through June 1, 2026.
The program is entering its fourth year and its second with universal eligibility, and demand keeps climbing: applications for 2026-27 topped the previous year's total of 52,529 even though the window was roughly half as long.
Any Arkansas resident student in kindergarten through 12th grade qualifies, with kindergartners needing to turn five by August 1, 2026 for the coming year. The standard award of $7,208 covers most participants, while former recipients of the Succeed Scholarship, the smaller disability-focused program the EFA absorbed, receive $8,162 for 2026-27. Both figures rose from $6,864 and $7,627 in 2025-26 because they track state foundation funding.
Lawmakers approved up to $379 million for the program in 2026-27, up from $309.4 million supporting more than 44,000 students in 2025-26. Consider a family with three school-age children: at $7,208 each, that household directs more than $21,000 toward the schooling arrangement that fits each child.
Funds cover tuition and fees at private schools approved to participate by the Arkansas Department of Education, along with homeschool curriculum, tutoring, educational therapies such as speech or occupational therapy, required uniforms, and transportation for educational purposes up to 25 percent of the account. Families are not locked into a single vendor; they can mix curriculum publishers, add online subscriptions, and hire subject-specific tutors from the same account. Consider a family homeschooling a fifth grader while an older sibling attends an approved private school. The younger child's account can buy a full-year curriculum, a math tutor, and testing fees, while the older child's account pays tuition directly, all managed inside the same ClassWallet login. Receipts matter: keep documentation for every purchase in case the department requests verification.
Purchases and reimbursements run through ClassWallet, and expenses outside the approved categories, such as food, general clothing, or entertainment, do not qualify. Plan spending early in the year, because unused funds generally do not carry over automatically.
Renewals go through ClassWallet. Families who participated in 2025-26 received instructions to complete a renewal survey inside their existing ClassWallet account, typically starting in late February.
New families apply through the state portal. First-time applicants create an account at arkansasefa.com, complete the application in the FACTS portal, and upload required documentation such as proof of residency and the student's birth certificate.
Applications are reviewed by priority, not purely first come, first served. Within each processing window, the state gives preference to returning participants, students with specialized needs including disabilities, homelessness, foster care, and former Succeed Scholarship recipients, students zoned to schools rated D or F under the state accountability system, and children of military members, law enforcement officers, and first responders.
Watch for summer account access. Families with eligible applications receive instructions for accessing their ClassWallet account later in the summer, and tuition payments to schools flow from there.
Reapply every year. Participation does not renew automatically, and the 2026-27 window closed June 1, 2026. Families who missed it should mark early March for the next cycle.
Six weeks into the 2026-27 window, families had already submitted 46,847 applications, running well ahead of the prior spring's pace at the same point. Growth invites scrutiny, and the state has built in oversight: a dedicated Education Freedom Account Financial Integrity Hotline accepts reports of suspected fraud or misuse of funds, and every purchase or reimbursement leaves a documented trail inside ClassWallet, which families also use to submit reimbursement requests for eligible out-of-pocket expenses.
The account's flexibility lets families buy targeted help, and the research case for doing so is strong. A Campbell systematic review by Dietrichson and colleagues (2020) analyzed 71 studies of school-based interventions for students in grades 7 through 12 who had, or were at risk of, academic difficulties, and found that targeted supports produced positive average effects on standardized reading and math tests. Structured tutoring, skill-specific instruction, and programs that build study skills all fit that description, and all fit within EFA-approved spending. A family whose eighth grader is behind in algebra can pair a solid core course with focused tutoring rather than hoping one purchase solves everything. The same logic applies in reading, where a targeted fluency or comprehension program beats a stack of general workbooks.
Score Academy Online is a Cognia-accredited, NCAA-approved online private school serving grades K-12 with live teachers, structured courses, and per-course enrollment. EFA tuition payments flow to private schools approved by the Arkansas Department of Education, and Score Academy Online is not currently on that list, so families should verify current participating schools and approved service providers directly with the department. Arkansas homeschooling families using EFA funds for curriculum should likewise confirm with the department which online course purchases qualify. Score Academy Online is pursuing approved-provider status across active school choice states.
Whatever the funding path, per-course tuition keeps structured online learning within reach: asynchronous courses start at $415 for elementary and $535 for middle and high school, and live middle school classes cap at six students. Families can explore the full K-12 curriculum, compare school choice funding options, or enroll at Score Academy Online any time through rolling admissions.
Program rules, award amounts, and timelines change. Confirm current requirements with the Arkansas Department of Education before making final enrollment decisions.
How much is the Arkansas Education Freedom Account worth? Most participants receive $7,208 for the 2026-27 school year. Former Succeed Scholarship recipients receive $8,162. Amounts equal 90 percent of the prior year's per-student foundation funding and rise as state funding rises.
Who is eligible? Every Arkansas K-12 student, regardless of income, since the program became universal in 2025-26. Kindergartners must turn five by August 1 of the school year.
Is the application still open? No. The 2026-27 window ran March 9 through June 1, 2026. Families should watch the Department of Education's EFA page for the next cycle, which has opened in early March in recent years.
Can EFA funds pay for online classes? Tuition goes to Arkansas-approved participating private schools, and homeschool families can buy approved curriculum, which may include online coursework. Verify any specific provider or purchase with the Department of Education before spending.
Do unused funds roll over? Generally no. Plan purchases early so the full award is used within the school year, and confirm current carryover rules with the department.
Who gets priority if applications exceed funding? Returning participants, students with specialized needs including disabilities, homelessness, foster care, and former Succeed recipients, students zoned to D- or F-rated schools, and children of military, law enforcement, and first responder families.
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