If you’re a parent or guardian of a child in Arizona and are considering an online school option, the cost won’t be one of your worries.
For a variety of reasons, online schooling may be the perfect solution for you and your child’s situation. And you would not be alone — as of October 2024, there are over 81,000 students in Arizona learning online from home.
Ushered in partly by the Covid pandemic, the Governor of Arizona signed HB 2862 on April 28, 2021, which allows schools in the state to provide remote instruction. Arizona Online Instruction (AOI) was established by law in ARS §15-808:
ARS §15-808 F1: “A pupil who is enrolled full-time in Arizona online instruction shall be funded for online instruction at ninety-five percent of the base support level that would be calculated for that pupil if that pupil were enrolled as a full-time student in a school district or charter school that does not participate in Arizona online instruction.”
ARS §15-808 F2: “A pupil who is enrolled part-time in Arizona online instruction shall be funded for online instruction at eighty-five percent of the base support level that would be calculated for that pupil if that pupil were enrolled as a part-time student in a school district or charter school that does not participate in Arizona online instruction.”
How Are Online Schooling Funds Supplied?
To leave a public or charter school and allow your child to be schooled remotely at home, you will need to access your child’s ESA.
An Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) is the amount of taxpayers’ dollars and state school budget funds that pay for a public school education. When you opt to remove your child from the public school system, these funds go with your child. The ESA in Arizona is synonymous with a “school voucher”. It can be used to support the costs for:
- Attendance in a charter school
- Private school tuition
- Tutoring
- Educational therapies
- Online schooling
- Future educational expenses
An ESA also comes with a ClassWallet with which you can easily pay for tuition as well as purchase educational materials and resources. A list of ESA-approved vendors can be found on the ESA Database.
Who Can Apply for An ESA?
Parents or guardians of any K-12 student in the state can apply for an ESA. Because school instruction is remote, your child may attend any online school in the state of Arizona.
Acquisition of the ESA is made by completing an application, which is then processed within 30 days of submission. Find information on eligibility requirements including:
- Students with disabilities
- Students with an IEP, MET, 504 Plan, or IEE
- Students whose parent(s) are on active duty with the U.S. Armed Forces
- Those who are wards of the Juvenile Court
- Students who reside within the boundaries of an Indian reservation
- Students of other special considerations
How Much is the ESA Fund?
The average amount of an ESA for students with no disabilities was $6,000 to $9,000 in the 2022-2023 school year. For students with disabilities, it was $6,000 to $43,000 depending upon the disability and its severity.
ESA funds are available quarterly from the first quarter in which your contract is signed, and are received between the 15th and the 30th of the first month in the quarter. Quarterly dates are:
- Q1: July 1 – September 30
- Q2: October 1 – December 31
- Q3: January 1 – March 31
- Q4: April 1 – June 30
What Materials and Resources are Available?
In order to learn remotely at home, your child will need a computer with an internet connection. Lower-income families may be eligible for computer loans, and internet stipends can help with the costs of internet services. Printers, ink, and paper are not covered.
Resources including an ESA Parent Handbook, a Parent Advisory Committee, Quarterly Reports, and reviews of state laws are also available. If you’re considering remote education for your children, you can rest assured that the costs involved will not be a significant factor. If you want more information, you can email your questions to: ESACallCenter@azed.gov, or call 602-364-1969.