Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account

Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) is administered by the Arizona Department of Education and provides scholarship dollars to Arizona families to help them pursue flexible options for their children’s learning.

Public funding from state tax dollars through the ESA enables families to expand their educational opportunities outside of the public school system and further personalize their educational experience. With the Arizona ESA amount, families receive 90% of what the state would be spending on their child’s education in the public school system.

According to Arizona ESA requirements, families are agreeing to provide an education that includes reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies, and science.

Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account is a powerful resource for students and families who want to enroll in Grand Canyon Private Academy. The program provides all Arizona families with:

• Scholarship dollars that fully cover GCPA’s tuition costs*
• Scholarship dollars for students with special needs starting as early as pre-K
• The ability to customize their child’s education
• Equal opportunity for children to access a personalized learning experience
• An easy application process—just two simple steps for approval

The scholarship amount is distributed throughout the year over the course of four quarters. Each quarter has a specific application due date in order to receive funding for that quarter:

• Q1: July 1 — September 30 (Application deadline: June 1)
• Q2: October 1 — December 31 (Application deadline: September 1)
• Q3: January 1 — March 31 (Application deadline: December 1)
• Q4: April 1 — June 30 (Application deadline: March 1)

The amount you receive depends on the age of your student as well as any special needs or accommodations they may have. For example, Students who have a current IEP, MET, or 504 plan are eligible to receive additional funding based on their IEP/MET category of eligibility.

Arizona’s ESA can cover education expenses. This is a broad category that covers that can include:

• Private school tuition
• Home-based education curriculums
• Tutoring services
• Learning materials
• Educational therapies

But this is not an exhaustive list, and there are plenty of other expenses that can qualify for your ESA usage. There are, however, some items that are excluded. Some purchases you can’t use your ESA for include:

• Entertainment purchases
• Noneducational devices
• Televisions
• Telephones
• Video game consoles or accessories
• Home theater or audio equipment

Yes – below are the average ESA funding amounts for students with a disability.

Approximate* Annual ESA Funding | 2025-2026 school year
Average funding for students with no disabilities
1st -12th: $7,105 – $10,540
KG: $4,718- $6,205

**Preschool and Kindergarten students with a disability other than P-SD, are funded at ½ the amount listed below
Average ESA funding for students with a disability (current IEP or evaluation must be provided at the time of application)

*This amount is an estimated ESA funding amount
*ESA Funding is primarily based on disability category; grade level; and district/charter of
attendance

All students in grades K–12 who reside in the state of Arizona qualify for the Arizona ESA. There are various eligibility categories, depending on your student’s specific circumstances.

Our enrollment consultants are available to help you confirm eligibility and guide you through the application process.

The Arizona ESA accepts applications year round. Applications are typically processed within 30 days of submission, and it can take around 3 weeks to set up and fund a new ESA once your application has been processed.

You’ll need certain documentation to apply, such as your student’s birth certification and proof of Arizona residency. In certain cases, you might need further documentation for specific circumstances, like if your student has special education needs or an IEP/MET/504 plan.

Our enrollment consultants will help you determine your eligibility, guide you through the application process, and answer any questions you may have. Request more information, and a Grand Canyon Private Academy enrollment consultant will contact you with more details.

Once an application has been submitted and processed and the Empowerment Scholarship Account has been set up, families can access their ESA funds with a prepaid debit card. Parents then have to submit a quarterly expense report to the Arizona Department of Education as a record of their purchases.

To use your ESA to pay for private school education, the school — GCPA — only needs to be able to process the card and provide a receipt that the family can include in their quarterly expense report.

Families are able to check the card balance online or by calling the number on the back of the debit card.