Funding & Programs
Arizona ESA
Empowerment Scholarship Account
Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account, usually just called ESA, is a state-funded education program that allows eligible Arizona families to use a portion of the state education funding allocated for their child to choose an education outside the traditional public-school system, including education at home.
ESA is not only for children with disabilities. Arizona has universal eligibility for K–12 students who live in Arizona and are eligible to attend an Arizona public school. There are also additional eligibility categories, including qualifying students with disabilities and certain preschool students with disabilities.
Instead of the state sending that portion of education funding to a district or charter school, an ESA allows parents to direct approved funds toward their child's individual education. Depending on eligibility and the expense, ESA funds can be used for things such as curriculum, educational materials and supplies, tutoring, private-school tuition, home education, and other approved educational expenses.
Families aren't simply handed unrestricted cash. ESA is administered by the Arizona Department of Education, educational purchases must meet program requirements, and participating families agree to provide instruction that includes reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies, and science. Funds are distributed quarterly, and purchases are generally managed through ClassWallet, the payment platform used by Arizona's ESA program.
Why I love the program
For our family, ESA makes individualized education possible on a completely different scale. It means I can choose resources based on how my children actually learn, rather than trying to make one curriculum work for everyone. That might mean books and reading programs, educational games, science equipment, technology, art materials, hands-on learning tools, or curriculum built around a particular interest.
ESA doesn't decide what our homeschool should look like. It gives me the resources to build an education around the kids standing in front of me.
And if you're an Arizona parent looking at all of this thinking, wait, could my child qualify too? Go look. Seriously. Read the current requirements and handbook directly from the Arizona Department of Education, because program rules and approved expenses can change.