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Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA)

Understanding how to use Arizona's ESA program towards your teen's education at Guidepost Academy.
Students at Guidepost Academy North Scottsdale
Guidepost Academy North Scottsdale School

What is the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA)?

Administered by the Arizona Department of Education, the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program allows families to use public funds to pay for private school tuition or home-based education, tutoring or therapy services.

Thousands of Arizona students in Kindergarten through 12th grade are currently eligible for the state-funded ESA. Eligible families receive 90% of what the state would be spending on their child in the public school system which is estimated at around $6,500 per student for 2022-2023.


Who is Eligible for the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Award?

Who is eligible?

  • Every family in Arizona who is eligible to attend school, from kindergarten through twelfth grade
  • There are no income requirements
  • There are no requirements regarding where the student lives within the state, or the student’s past academic performance
Apply to Guidepost Academy North Scottsdale Middle School

How do I apply?

  1. Go to www.azed.gov to complete the one-page application.
  2. You will need to provide copy of the student’s birth certificate, proof of address and IEP / MET / 504 (if applicable).
  3. Applications can take up to 45 days to process. You will receive an acceptance letter with the ESA amount, a contract and handbook. You will need to sign and return the documents so that the ESA can be finalized and the account opened.
  4. ESA funds are deposited quarterly by the Arizona Treasurer’s office during the following two week windows: Quarter 1: July 15th -30th Quarter 2: October 15th -30th Quarter 3: January 15th -30th Quarter 4: April 15th -30th Funds for Quarter 1 will be retroactively applied to any approved application submitted by October 15, 2022.
  5. Funds are deposited into a virtual ClassWallet account. ClassWallet’s platform is designed to streamline and automate the spending and tracking of ESA funds and allows ESA Account Holders to manage payments to schools, providers, and vendors. Parents can access their student’s ClassWallet account via the ESA Applicant Portal
  6. There is a simple renewal process each June. Parent must complete renewal to remain in the program. However, parents who wish to, are free to withdraw their student from the ESA program at any time.
Visit Arizona ESA website
Tuition at Guidepost Academy North Scottsdale

Using your ESA funds at Guidepost Academy

Guidepost Academy is approved by the Arizona Department of Education as a vendor for parents with students who qualify for AZ ESA. If you are eligible for the AZ ESA program, you can use your funds towards tuition for our North Scottsdale Middle School and our virtual program.

  • Sign into your ClassWallet account via the ESA Applicant Portal
  • Select "Start Shopping" to see your available vendors list
  • Search "Academy of Thought and Industry" and select your program of interest
  • If you have any questions please contact our team directly and we will walk you through how to use ESA funds towards our programs.

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