Use your Arizona ESA at an accredited online private school.

Every Arizona K-12 student qualifies for the Empowerment Scholarship Account. Since 2022, the program has had universal eligibility, meaning there is no income cap, no prior public school attendance requirement, and no waiting list. Students must be a resident of Arizona and between the ages of 5 and 22 (or enrolled in kindergarten). Students with a qualifying disability, IEP, or 504 plan may be eligible for a significantly larger award.

Standard awards for Arizona K-12 students range from approximately $4,000 to $9,572 per school year. Most families receive between $7,000 and $8,000. Students with qualifying special needs can receive significantly higher awards, up to approximately $28,000 per year depending on disability category. Preschool students with a diagnosed disability may receive up to approximately $16,000. Award amounts are set by the Arizona Department of Education and are based on the state's per-pupil funding formula.

Yes. Arizona ESA funds explicitly cover tuition at accredited online schools. Score Academy Online is a Cognia-accredited, NCAA-approved online private school and an approved ESA provider. Arizona families can pay Score Academy Online tuition directly from their ClassWallet account using quarterly ESA disbursements. All three Score Academy Online learning packages, Synchronous, Flex, and Asynchronous, accept ESA funding.

Apply through the official ESA applicant portal at esaportal.azed.gov. Create an account, upload required documents (proof of Arizona residency, your child's birth certificate, and parent or guardian photo ID), and submit your application. Arizona accepts ESA applications year-round on a rolling basis, and processing typically takes about 30 days. Once approved, you can select Score Academy Online as your child's education provider through the same portal.

The Arizona Department of Education disburses ESA funds quarterly (four times per school year) into a parent-controlled ClassWallet account. ClassWallet is the state's approved payment platform. Parents use ClassWallet to pay tuition directly to an approved provider like Score Academy Online, or to purchase other approved educational expenses such as tutoring, curriculum, and testing fees. Unused balances roll forward to the following school year.

No. To receive Arizona ESA funding, your child must be withdrawn from (or never enrolled in) an Arizona public school or charter school for the school year in which they are using the ESA. The ESA is intended as an alternative to public school enrollment. Students can re-enroll in public school later, but cannot use the ESA concurrently with public school enrollment.

Approved ESA expenses include: private and online school tuition, tutoring services, curriculum and textbooks, educational software, standardized testing fees (AP, SAT, ACT, etc.), educational therapy and specialized services for students with disabilities, uniforms for participating schools, and approved educational technology. ESA funds cannot be used for non-educational expenses or for cash withdrawals. Arizona maintains a published list of approved and prohibited purchases through ClassWallet.

Yes. Score Academy Online is a state-approved provider for the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account program. Arizona families can use their ESA funds to pay Score Academy Online tuition directly through ClassWallet. Score Academy Online holds full Cognia accreditation (required by most state ESA programs) and offers NCAA-approved coursework for students in grades K through 12. Contact our admissions team to confirm current enrollment details and get the vendor information you will need for your ClassWallet payment.

Unused Arizona ESA funds roll forward to the next school year. They remain in your ClassWallet account as long as your child is actively enrolled in the program. This allows families to save ESA funds for larger future expenses such as AP exam fees, end-of-year testing, or higher tuition costs in later grades. If a student exits the ESA program, any remaining funds return to the state.

Yes. All ESA purchases are documented through ClassWallet, and Arizona requires families to retain receipts and records for any manual reimbursements. Direct payments to approved providers like Score Academy Online are logged automatically. The Arizona Department of Education may periodically audit accounts to verify that funds are being spent on approved educational expenses.

Most Arizona families go from starting their ESA application to having their child enrolled at Score Academy Online in 4 to 6 weeks. ESA application processing takes around 30 days, and Score Academy Online admissions can run in parallel, so your child can be enrolled and ready to begin classes shortly after ESA approval. If you need to begin classes sooner, families can also enroll out of pocket and apply ESA funds retroactively once approved. Speak with our admissions team to map out the timing that fits your situation.