Parent FAQs & Resources
Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for you to learn how School Choice Arizona works. Below you’ll find FAQs and helpful parent resources. As always, contact our office with any additional questions you have!
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School Choice Arizona awards four different scholarships. Arizona’s two Individual Tax Credits fund School Choice Arizona’s Original and Overflow Scholarships. Arizona’s two Corporate Tax Credits fund School Choice Arizona’s Disabled/Displaced and Low-Income Scholarships.
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Any student enrolled in a private school in grades K-12 (or a preschooler with disabilities) qualifies for an Original Scholarship.
To be eligible for an Overflow Scholarship, students must meet one of the requirements below.
The student attended an Arizona district or charter school for at least 90 days (or one full semester) in the prior school year, then transferred to a private school.
The student is a preschooler with disabilities and is receiving services from a private school based on an IEP or MET they received from an Arizona public or charter school.
The student is currently enrolled in Kindergarten at a private school.
The student is a dependent of a member of the U.S. Armed Forces who is stationed in Arizona under military orders.
The student was homeschooled in Arizona and did not have an ESA immediately prior to enrolling in a private school.
The student moved to Arizona from out of state immediately prior to enrolling in a private school.
The student participated in the ESA program and did not renew or accept the scholarship in order to accept STO scholarships.
The student previously received an Overflow or Corporate Scholarship in a prior year, and has attended private school continuously since.
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To be eligible for a Low-Income Scholarship, students must be enrolled in a private school in grades K-12 (or a preschooler with disabilities). The student’s family income cannot exceed 185% of the income required to qualify a child for reduced price lunches. You can find the income requirements here. Students whose family income is below the limit to qualify for Low-Income Scholarships must also meet one of the eligibility requirements below:
The student attended an Arizona district or charter school for at least 90 days (or one full semester) in the prior school year or first semester of the current school year and will now be switching to a private school.
The student is a preschooler with disabilities and is receiving services from a private school based on an IEP or MET they received from an Arizona public or charter school.
The student is currently enrolled in Kindergarten at a private school.
The student is a dependent of a member of the U.S. Armed Forces who is stationed in Arizona under military orders.
The student was homeschooled in Arizona and did not have an ESA immediately prior to enrolling in a private school.
The student moved to Arizona from out of state immediately prior to enrolling in a private school.
The student participated in the ESA program and did not renew or accept the scholarship in order to accept STO scholarships.
The student previously received an Original, Overflow, or Low-Income Corporate Scholarship in a prior year, and has attended private school continuously since.
For a student to qualify for a Disabled/Displaced Scholarship, they must be enrolled in a private school in grades K-12 (or a preschooler with disabilities). Students must also meet one of the following requirements:
K–12 students must have an MET, IEP, or 504 plan. Preschoolers with disabilities must have an MET or IEP and be attending a private school offering services that address the student’s identified disabilities. All documentation must be from an Arizona public school.
K-12 students currently or previously placed in the Arizona foster care system.
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Arizona law allows C Corporations and S Corporations to donate up to their state income tax liability for the given tax year. Insurance companies can donate as well from their premium tax liability.
Corporations may identify one or more schools with their tax credit donation, however, they may not recommend specific students per the tax credit law.
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First, create a Parent Portal account and apply for scholarships for each of your students. You may also print an application and submit the completed application to us by mail, fax, or email it to info@schoolchoicearizona.org.
The same application is used for both Individual and Corporate Scholarships. Only one application is required per school year. Application deadlines can be found below. Applications expire at the end of the school year, regardless of when they are received.
Once an application is submitted, your student will be considered for scholarships in each of the Award Cycles they are eligible for during the school year as long as your student is enrolled at the school named on the application.
Next, learn how the Private School Tax Credit Program works to make Private Education affordable for families. Take advantage of our great Parent Resources below.
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Every student who has a current application on file, is enrolled, and meets the qualifications of each type of scholarship is considered.
Our Selection Committee considers three factors when making award decisions:
Family Financial Information provided on the application
(This is a required factor by state law. It is held in strictest confidence.)Student Narrative provided on the application
Donor Recommendations received for the student
By law, individual donor recommendations are not guaranteed. However, they do help in the award decision process.
Regardless of our desire to award every student during each Award Cycle, we do not always have the funds available to meet this goal since we are a donation-based organization.
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As long as the new school is a Private School in Arizona that partners with School Choice Arizona, the unused portion will follow the student. Otherwise, any remaining scholarship amount would be awarded among other students at that school. For a list of our Partner Schools, click here.
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Yes, we encourage you to apply for any opportunities available. Our number one goal is for you to afford a Private Education for your child.
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Tax credit scholarships and ESA funds cannot be used at the same time to pay a student’s tuition. Students receiving ESA funds may still be considered for and awarded individual tax credit scholarships, but awards will be held in the student’s name as Multi-Year Scholarships to be used in a future school year after the ESA is terminated. School Choice Arizona can continue to hold Multi-Year Scholarships as long as a Scholarship Application is submitted for the student each school year and the student remains enrolled in a Partner School.
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Due to the Corporate limits on both Low-Income and Disabled/Displaced Scholarships, School Choice Arizona cannot hold returned Corporate funds for future school years. Returned Corporate funds will not change any “promised” Corporate awards your student may have for a future school year.
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Per the Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR), scholarship awards are only given to individual students. There are no family accounts.
Award Year Timeline
Click here to download.
Trying to figure out how to ask your family and friends to donate to School Choice Arizona? Here are some sample letters to help you get started. We encourage you to personalize your letters to draw the reader in and provide them with an emotional or financial benefit appeal.
Sample Letters
Verification Forms
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This form must be completed by the public school and submitted with the School Choice Arizona Scholarship Application to verify the number of days the student was enrolled in an Arizona public school in the prior school year. If the student attended more than one Arizona public school in the prior school year, a separate form must be completed for each public school the student attended.
In lieu of this form, a printout from the school’s student enrollment database providing the required data will be accepted, as long as the information is issued by the public school office.
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This form must be completed by the school tuition organization (STO) that made the award. If the STO is no longer in operation, please contact School Choice Arizona. Submit the form with the School Choice Arizona Scholarship Application.
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A portion of this form must be completed by the Department of Child Safety (DCS).
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Note: If the student used an ESA for home education immediately prior to enrolling in a qualified Arizona private school, do NOT use this form.
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Section 1 must be completed by the out of state school the student attended immediately prior to enrolling in a qualified Arizona private school.
Section 2 must be completed by the parent/guardian if the student was homeschooled out of state immediately prior to enrolling in a qualified Arizona private school.