Empowerment Scholarship Accounts

Applications for Empowerment Scholarships for the 2012-2013 school year are being accepted between March 26 and May 4, 2012. 

What is an Empowerment Scholarship Account?  An Empowerment Scholarship Account ("ESA") is a program that is established to provide an education for qualified students and must include reading, grammar, math and science.

Who is eligible for an ESA?  What students qualify?  In order to qualify, a student must:

· Be an Arizona resident, AND

· Be "identified as having a disability," AND

· Have been enrolled as a full time student in an Arizona public school or charter school for the first  one hundred (100) days of the prior school year (this is called “the 100 day rule”), OR

· Have received a Displaced or Disabled Scholarship from a Student Tuition Organization ("STO") the prior year, OR

· Have received an ESA the prior year.

How is a student "identified as having a disability"?  A student with an 504 Plan (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act [(29 U.S. Code Section 794] or a student with an IEP meets the criteria for a student identified as having a disability. 

Where do the monies come from?  ADE") bases the funding for students with disabilities on a formula that is determined by the students' needs outlined in their IEP / MET / 504 plans.  Different plans are developed based on a child’s needs and thus how the state should fund them. The ESA program uses the same formula based model to determine your child’s scholarship amount.

If qualified, how much does a student receive?  It is roughly 90% of the amount the school district or charter school would receive, less 3% for administrative costs. The amount is determined by calculating 90% of the student’s funding level based.  The formula is based on category of disability, grade level and school location.

What can ESA funds be spent on?  Funds must be used for education, including reading, grammar, math, social studies and science. Eligible expenses are:

· Tuition and fees at a nongovernmental (private) school for preschool, kindergarten and grades one - twelve;

· Textbooks required by the private school;

· Educational therapies or services from a licensed or accredited practitioner or provider;

· Tutoring services from a state, regionally or nationally accredited provider;

· Curriculum;

· Tuition or fees from a private online learning program;

· Fee for nationally standardized norm-referenced achievement tests,

· Advanced Placement exams, or any exam related to postsecondary admissions;

· Contributions to a qualified College Savings Plan (529 Plan)

· Tuition or fees at an eligible postsecondary institution; and

· Bank fees charged for the management of the ESA.

How do I apply?  The Arizona Department of Education website has the information you need, including a detailed explanation of the application process.  Note also the pitfalls to avoid in the application process. 

There is an informational meeting at the Arizona Department of Education for parents of applicant students.  This meeting will focus on the application process, eligibility and fund use. The meeting will be held at:

Arizona Department of Education

1535 West Jefferson

Phoenix, AZ 85007

(Room 409)

 Time: 12pm-2pm on March 28, 2012 

You can receive ESA e-mail updates and reminders by sending e-mail to esa@azed.gov requesting to be added to the e-mail list.