New to Online School?
Apply Now →
Arizona is one of the lightest-regulation states in the country for home education, and one of the most generous on funding. This guide covers the affidavit you file under A.R.S. 15-802, the steps to start, and how Arizona's universal Empowerment Scholarship Account can pay for an accredited online school instead.
In Arizona, homeschooling is a parent-directed education carried out under A.R.S. 15-802, defined as nonpublic instruction provided primarily by the parent in the child's home. To begin, the parent files a one-time notarized Affidavit of Intent to Homeschool with the county school superintendent and then teaches the required subjects. Arizona does not require testing, reporting, recordkeeping, minimum hours, or parent qualifications, which is why it is consistently ranked among the most homeschool-friendly states.
Compulsory attendance in Arizona applies to children 6 to 16 years old. A parent who does not want to start formal instruction until age 8 can indicate that on the affidavit. The required subjects are reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies, and science. Beyond teaching those and filing the affidavit once, the ongoing obligations are famously light.
Under the traditional homeschool path, starting is a short, one-time process.
Fill out the affidavit with your child's name, date of birth, address, and your contact information. It must be notarized. Many counties provide their own form, though using a specific form is not required by law.
Submit the notarized affidavit, plus proof of the child's age such as a certified birth certificate, to the superintendent of the county where you live, within 30 days of starting to homeschool. Authority in Arizona is by county, not district.
Provide instruction in reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies, and science. You choose the curriculum, schedule, and methods. There is no testing, reporting, or recordkeeping requirement, though many families keep records for their own use.
The affidavit is a one-time filing with no annual renewal. If you end homeschooling, notify the county superintendent within 30 days. If you move to a new Arizona county, file a fresh affidavit there.
| Legal basis | Homeschool as nonpublic instruction under A.R.S. 15-802 |
| Compulsory ages | 6 to 16 (formal start may be delayed to age 8 on the affidavit) |
| Notice to file | One-time notarized Affidavit of Intent to the county school superintendent within 30 days, with proof of age |
| Required subjects | Reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies, science |
| Recordkeeping | None required by the state |
| Testing and reporting | None required |
| Renewal | None; one-time filing. Notify the county within 30 days if you stop |
This summary is a starting point, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with your county school superintendent or the Arizona Department of Education before you withdraw a child from school.
Arizona does not pay parents to homeschool, but it does offer one of the country's most generous school choice programs: the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) under A.R.S. 15-2402. An ESA is a state-funded, parent-controlled account of public money that families can spend on approved educational expenses, including curriculum, tutoring, and private school tuition, paid out through a platform called ClassWallet. General-education students have most recently received roughly $7,000 to $8,000 per year.
Arizona's ESA is currently universal. Every K–12 student who is eligible to enroll in an Arizona public school can apply, with no income requirement and no need for prior public school enrollment. There is an important legal wrinkle, though, and it is the piece most families get wrong.
An ESA student is not classified as a homeschooler. Arizona treats "sign a contract to participate in an ESA" as its own category, nonpublic instruction, separate from homeschool. ESA participants do not file a homeschool affidavit; the ESA contract is the proof of compliance, and you cannot hold both at once. Program terms can change, so confirm current eligibility and award amounts with the Arizona Department of Education. Our Arizona ESA guide walks through it in full.
Because the ESA is a separate legal category, it opens a route that many Arizona families prefer: instead of filing a homeschool affidavit and teaching every subject yourself, you can use ESA funds to enroll your child in an accredited private school and let certified teachers carry the instruction. You keep the flexibility of learning from home, and you do not file a homeschool affidavit, because the ESA contract covers compliance.
Score Academy Online is an approved Arizona ESA provider. It is a Cognia-accredited online private school offering NCAA-approved courses for grades K–12, with certified teachers and live, flexible learning. Eligible families can direct ESA funds toward tuition through ClassWallet. Explore the curriculum, review the Arizona ESA details, or read how online school compares to homeschool.
Yes, but only once. You file a notarized Affidavit of Intent to Homeschool with your county school superintendent within 30 days of starting, along with proof of your child's age. There is no annual renewal, and no permission is required, only the affidavit.
Not directly. Arizona does not pay parents to homeschool. However, the state's universal Empowerment Scholarship Account provides most general-education students roughly $7,000 to $8,000 a year for approved educational expenses. ESA participants are classified separately from homeschoolers and do not file a homeschool affidavit.
No. Arizona does not require homeschooled students to take standardized tests or submit any reports. After the one-time affidavit, there are no testing, reporting, recordkeeping, or minimum-hours requirements for traditional homeschoolers.
Yes. Empowerment Scholarship Account funds can be directed toward tuition at an approved private school, including an accredited online school, through ClassWallet. Score Academy Online is an approved Arizona ESA provider, so eligible families can use ESA funds toward tuition.
No. Enrolling in an accredited online private school is separate from homeschooling under A.R.S. 15-802. If you fund that enrollment with an ESA, Arizona classifies your child under nonpublic instruction, not homeschool, so you do not file a homeschool affidavit.
Score Academy Online is an approved Arizona ESA provider: a Cognia-accredited online private school with certified teachers, NCAA-approved courses, and a transcript colleges recognize. Use your Empowerment Scholarship Account toward tuition and skip the homeschool paperwork. Talk to admissions about what fits your child.