Arizona ESA
Arizona ESA Funding Amounts (2025-2026)
How much money does the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) actually pay? Below is the 2025-2026 funding picture — base awards, disability tiers, kindergarten reductions, and how the quarterly deposit schedule works. Always confirm the current figures at azed.gov/esa.
Last reviewed: July 2026
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Still have ESA questions?
Ask the Arizona ESA Assistant - a chat grounded in ADE policy, ClassWallet rules, and Arizona homeschool law. Try one of these, or type your own.
- Can I use ESA funds for Bible curriculum in Arizona?
- How long does ClassWallet reimbursement take?
- Do I need a curriculum to buy school supplies with ESA?
- What documents do I need for a ClassWallet reimbursement?
Not legal, tax, or financial advice. Always confirm current rules with the Arizona Department of Education.
Arizona ESA award estimator
Pick a grade band and disability category to see the estimated annual award, the quarterly deposit, and a realistic way to spend it.
Estimated annual award
$7,300
per student
Quarterly deposit
$1,825
four times a year
Annual total
$7,300
one student
Base award only.
A realistic way to allocate $7,300
| Category | Budget | Typical spend |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum and books | $876 | Core subjects, consumables, readers |
| Tuition, microschool, or co-op fees | $3,650 | The largest line for most families |
| Tutoring and therapies | $1,460 | Reading, math, speech, OT |
| Enrichment and PE | $876 | Music, art, sports, martial arts |
| Technology and testing | $438 | Device, subscriptions, standardized tests |
Estimates only. Arizona publishes the official funding chart each fiscal year and award amounts are set per student by the Arizona Department of Education. Unspent funds roll over year to year while the student stays on ESA.
The short answer
- Typical K-8 student: about $7,100-$7,600 a year
- Typical high schooler: about $7,800-$8,300 a year
- Kindergartner: about half the base, roughly $3,600-$4,000
- Student with a documented disability: roughly $9,000 up to $48,000, set by category
- Paid out: four quarterly deposits into ClassWallet, and unspent money rolls over
2025-2026 funding chart
Arizona ESA funding chart (2025-2026)
Award ranges by grade band and disability category. Each range reflects the grade-level weights inside the state formula — younger students sit near the low end, high schoolers near the high end.
Students without a disability category
| Student category | Estimated annual award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten (half-day funded) | $3,600 – $4,000 | Kindergarten is funded at roughly half the base rate. |
| Grades 1-8, no disability | $7,100 – $7,600 | The standard award most families receive. |
| Grades 9-12, no disability | $7,800 – $8,300 | High school carries a slightly higher per-pupil weight. |
Students with a documented disability
| Student category | Estimated annual award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Preschool severe delay | $3,300 – $4,500 | Part-day funding for qualifying preschoolers. |
| Mild — SLD, speech/language, other health impairment (Category A) | $9,000 – $12,000 | Requires a current MET, IEP, or 504 plan. |
| Emotional disability / mild intellectual disability | $12,000 – $16,000 | Assigned from the MET category, not from a parent request. |
| Moderate intellectual disability, orthopedic impairment | $16,000 – $24,000 | Mid-tier categories on the ADE chart. |
| Hearing impairment | $25,000 – $32,000 | Often paired with therapy and assistive technology spending. |
| Autism | $34,000 – $48,000 | One of the largest add-ons; ADE assigns it from the MET or IEP. |
| Severe intellectual disability, visual impairment | $32,000 – $45,000 | Individually determined by ADE. |
| Multiple disabilities with severe sensory impairment | $43,000 – $48,000 | The highest tier on the published chart. |
Approximate ranges for planning only. The Arizona Department of Education publishes the official chart each fiscal year and sets each student's award individually at azed.gov/esa.
Base ESA award (typical K-12 student)
For a typical K-12 student without a disability category, the base ESA award is roughly $7,100-$8,300 per year in 2025-2026, depending on grade band. It is set at approximately 90% of what the state would have spent on that child in a district school, and it adjusts each fiscal year. Funds are deposited quarterly to your ClassWallet account.
Kindergarten award
Kindergartners receive a reduced (roughly 50%) award because kindergarten is treated as a half-time grade under the state funding formula. Families with a K student often bank rollover for larger first-grade purchases.
Students with a disability
Awards for students with a documented disability are tiered by the category on the student's MET or IEP — not by a parent's description of the need. The chart above lists the ranges. Two things families get wrong often:
- Dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADHD are not their own tiers. They usually fund at the mild (SLD or other health impairment) level unless the MET assigns a different category.
- A private diagnosis alone is not enough. ADE needs a current MET, IEP, or 504 plan, generally within three years, or an evaluation from a licensed evaluator that maps to a state category.
See ESA Eligibility for documentation details.
What the money actually covers at these amounts
A $7,300 award covers full tuition at most Arizona Christian K-8 schools, or a full year of homeschool curriculum plus weekly tutoring and one enrichment activity. High school tuition usually leaves a gap of a few thousand dollars, which families often close with a School Tuition Organization scholarship.
How the quarterly deposit schedule works
ESA funds are released in four quarterly installments — roughly August, November, February, and May. Each deposit requires your quarterly expense report to be on file. Miss a report and the next deposit is delayed until you catch up.
Rollover: unspent funds carry forward
Money you don't spend rolls to the next quarter and the next year while your child remains on ESA. Many families intentionally build rollover to fund a private-school tuition year, a big-ticket computer, or a full curriculum bundle later on.
Multiple children
Each child receives their own individual award. There's no family cap, no per-household reduction, and no bonus for enrolling multiple kids. Award amounts stack directly.
What the funds cannot be used for
ESA funds cannot be used for consumables outside educational scope, family entertainment, or anything that fails the "educational purpose" test. See What Arizona ESA Covers for the full allowable-expense list.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Arizona ESA pay per student in 2025-2026?
The base award for a typical K-12 student is roughly $7,000-$7,500 per year, deposited in four quarterly installments to your ClassWallet account. Kindergartners receive a reduced amount (about half of the base) since they are part-time. Students with a qualifying disability receive substantially more — often $9,000 to $40,000+ depending on the category and services on their MET/IEP. The Arizona Department of Education publishes the current funding chart each fiscal year.
Do students with disabilities get more ESA money?
Yes. Awards for students with a documented disability are tiered by category (mild, moderate, severe, autism, hearing/vision impairment, etc.). Categories A through D range from roughly $9,000 up to $40,000+ per year. You'll need a current MET/IEP or a 504 plan and, in many cases, a private evaluation to qualify at the higher tiers.
When are ESA deposits made?
Funds hit ClassWallet in four quarterly installments — typically August, November, February, and May. Your first quarterly deposit lands after your contract is fully executed and your quarterly report is on file. Missing a report delays the next deposit.
Can I roll unused ESA funds to the next year?
Yes. Unspent funds carry over year to year while your child remains an active ESA recipient. They do not expire annually. Rollover funds are especially useful for saving toward big-ticket items like a computer, curriculum bundles, or a private-school tuition year.
Does the ESA amount change if my child is enrolled part time in public school?
You cannot be enrolled part time in a public school and receive full ESA. The ESA contract requires withdrawal from public school. If you want part-time public-school enrollment, the ESA is not the right pathway.
Is the funding taxable?
No. ESA funds are not counted as taxable income to your family. They are a state education award spent through ClassWallet on approved expenses.
Do I get more if I have multiple kids on ESA?
Each student gets their own individual award based on their grade level and disability category. There is no per-family bonus or reduction — the amounts stack.
What if I need funds mid-year for a big purchase?
You can request a preapproval for large items (like a computer over $2,000) at any time. But you can only spend what's currently in your ClassWallet balance — you cannot pull the whole year's funding up front. Plan big buys around the quarterly deposit calendar.
Where does the official 2025-2026 funding chart live?
The Arizona Department of Education publishes the current award schedule at azed.gov/esa each fiscal year. Amounts adjust slightly annually based on the state's per-pupil base level. Always confirm the latest number there before budgeting.
Related ESA guides
This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. Confirm current rules with the Arizona Department of Education.