Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Guide 2026–2027

Eligibility

All K–12 students residing in Arizona.

What the money can be used for

• Tuition
• Tutoring
• Curriculum
• Therapies
• Tech
• Transportation

Generally not allowed

• Food and groceries
• Vehicles and fuel
• Recreational sports
• Family vacations
• Compensation to the account holder or the student's parents or guardians

See our full eligible-expenses guide for the gray areas (technology caps, transportation, religious instruction, family-member compensation).

How to apply

1. Apply through the ADE ESA Applicant Portal. ADE says 2026–2027 applications are being accepted and completed applications are processed within 30 days.
2. Arizona accepts applications year-round. Funding begins according to the quarter in which the ESA contract is signed, so review the current quarter and funding schedule before changing enrollment or committing to expenses.
3. After approval and account setup, access ClassWallet through the ESA Applicant Portal. Arizona provides four spending routes: Marketplace, Pay Vendor, debit card for eligible accounts, and reimbursement. Provider setup or a successful transaction does not itself make a purchase allowable.
4. ADE does not publish a state-approved or recommended vendor list. Verify the provider's ClassWallet setup, the exact expense category, and the required documentation before spending.

Curriculum & provider considerations

Start with the official Arizona provider information, spending platform, or payment rules. Our provider directory is an editorial resource and is not a state-approved list.

Curriculum and provider approval is state-specific. Before purchasing, check the official program rules for Arizona. Some states require provider-level, product-level, service-level, or course-level approval, and marketplace availability or a successful payment does not by itself establish that an expense is allowable.

Editorial notes

Arizona’s program was enacted in 2011 (universal 2022). Award amounts and eligibility thresholds are reviewed each legislative session; we re-verify each state page on a rolling cadence and date-stamp the last review. See our methodology page for details. The final word on eligibility, deadlines, and approved providers is always the state administrator — verify with the Arizona Department of Education before spending.