Arkansas families can now apply for the Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids (PIAK) scholarship for the 2025-26 school year. The application link is available by visiting www.thereformalliance.org and clicking on Scholarships.

The PIAK scholarship can be applied toward tuition and fees at participating Arkansas private schools. It can provide up to $6,900 annually, depending on grade level.

“Every year PIAK scholarships, supported by generous donors, allows hundreds of Arkansas students to attend a school that meets their individual educational needs but would otherwise be financially inaccessible for these students’ families,” said Emmy Henley, managing director of The Reform Alliance, a designated scholarship granting organization for PIAK scholarships.

To qualify, a student’s household family income must be at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, or about $62,400 for a family of four. Additionally, the student must have attended public school for at least one semester this school year, be enrolling in kindergarten for the first time, be transferring to Arkansas from out of state or have a diagnosed disability identified in the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA).

Established in 2021, the PIAK is a tax credit scholarship, meaning that it is funded by individual Arkansans who make donations to the scholarship fund and in turn receive a 100 percent matching credit on their business or personal state income taxes.

With the establishment of the Arkansas Educational Freedom Account (EFA) program, and its growth to include eligibility for every student in Arkansas, tens of thousands of families now have access to more educational options. But the PIAK scholarship continues to serve families exercising choice in education.

“While universal eligibility makes the EFA an essential resource now for many families, its funding is not unlimited. Families who could find themselves waiting for EFA funding to attend a private school can, if they qualify, get approval for a PIAK scholarship,” Henley noted. “Importantly, those students with the most need who have an IDEA-identified disability, can actually enroll in both the EFA and the PIAK and receive funding from both programs to meet those increased needs.”

While more widely recognized for establishing the EFA program, the 2023 LEARNS Act also expanded the cap on PIAK donations from $2 million to $6 million annually, with a mechanism to continue growing each year. Since then, The Reform Alliance has raised more than $5 million each year in PIAK funding, which has translated to hundreds more scholarships being available.

“To families who believe a private education will best suit their child but consider it out of reach financially, please apply,” Henley said. “We want to help you put your child in the educational environment that will best serve their needs.”