Scholarships
The State of Arkansas currently offers two additional education programs for families to take advantage of:
Education Freedom Account (EFA)
For frequently asked questions about eligibility, please click here.
The Educational Freedom Account provides eligible students with funding that will allow them to meet specific education expenses, including private school tuition, fees, uniforms and other expenses required by their chosen school environment.
EFA Award Amount
Beginning in 2025, there will no longer be a hard cap on the number of students who can participate as is spelled out in the LEARNS Act itself.
However, program participation may be impacted by funding. The legislature determines how much money to allocate to the EFA program. The LEARNS Act says, that if the number of students who sign up exceeds the number of students who can be fully funded, then the amount each student receives may be reduced in order to fund all participants.
The amount awarded to each accepted student in 2025 is still pending. It is anticipated that most recipients will receive approximately $6,856.
What can I use the EFA award for?
Parents and legal guardians of students who are eligible for the EFA award can use the funding for their student to attend private school, or they can put funding towards the expenses that are often associated with homeschool and microschool arrangements, like:
- Curriculum and learning materials
- Certain transportation costs
- Technology devices for education needs (excluding devices for entertainment purposes)
- Fees for courses and exams for college credit or career training
- Tutoring services and education services by accredited practitioners for students with disabilities
How to Qualify
Students who are eligible for the Educational Freedom Account include:
- Students who have received a Succeed Scholarship Program acceptance
- Students with disabilities
- Students who are currently or have ever been in the foster care system
- Students with parents or legal guardians who are a part of active duty military, law enforcement, or are a first-responder.
- Students entering kindergarten for the first time
- Students of D or F-ranked schools
- Students at a school that is rated Level 5 Intensive Support by the Arkansas Board of Education.
How will the Educational Freedom Account (EFA) impact existing state scholarship programs?
Students who enroll in the EFA program with disabilities can also still qualify for the Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids (PIAK) program. Eligibility is based on household income, allowing students to receive the benefits of both programs!
Start the Application Process for Free
Parents and legal guardians can apply for the Education Freedom Account for free! Choose a resource below to get started and to learn more.
Educational Freedom Account Website
Current EFA Schools List
2024 - 2025 EFA Approved Vendors & Service Providers
Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids (PIAK)
The Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids provides vital funding for eligible students to attend private schools. A student is eligible for the program if the student’s family income is less than 200% of the federal poverty guidelines.
PIAK Award Amount
Funding amount is determined yearly. Average scholarship amounts per the scholarship-granting organization (SGO) cannot exceed 80% of Arkansas’s foundation funding amount, which can be about $5,500 for students in grades K-8, and 90% of the amount, which can be about $6,300 for high school students.
What can I use the PIAK award for?
Parents and legal guardians of students who are eligible for the PIAK award can use the funding for their student to attend a participating private school.
How to Qualify
Families qualify based on household income. Any student whose family income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty line, or about $60,000 for a family of four, is qualified to apply for the PIAK program. Students must have attended public school in the prior year, unless they have a disability or are new to Arkansas schools.
Family income must be below 200% of the federal poverty line.
Student must have attended public school at some point in the 2023-24 school year.
Exceptions are made for students starting kindergarten, or those moving from out-of-state.
Exceptions to prior public school enrollment are also made for students with qualifying disabilities.
Why should we apply?
The Reform Alliance makes acquiring funding for your child’s unique educational needs a possibility. If your child would benefit from a specific educational environment that is unlike a public school environment, and you think you may be eligible for scholarships and or funding, apply today!
Start the Application Process for Free
Parents and legal guardians can apply for the Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids fund for free! Choose a resource below to get started and to learn more.
Parent Registration Site
Public School Verification Form
List of Required Forms
To Verify Income:
- Previous Year’s Form 1040 (ex: when applying in 2024, provide 2023)
- Supplemental Income Documentation (if applicable):
- Alimony Received
- Child Support
- Temporary assistance for needy families (TANF)
- Welfare
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Tuition support from friends/relatives/employers
- Workers’ Compensation
- Housing Allowance (Military, Religious, Parsonage, etc.)
- Tax-Exempt Interest
- Other Nontaxable Income (e.g. Foster Care Allowance, VA Benefits, etc.)
After verifying income, you must provide documents to prove ONE of the following
1. Transferring from public school (provide ONE):
- Public School Verification Form
- Report Card from Public School
- Letter from Public School Registrar
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2. Your child has a disability (provide ONE):
- District testing within the last 3 years identifying an IDEA disability
- An Individualized Education Program (IEP)
- A Medical Diagnosis form signed by a medical professional
3. You are moving into Arkansas from out of state (provide ONE):
- Utility bill
- Property tax receipt
- Voter registration card
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4. Your child is enrolling in kindergarten for the first time (provide ONE):
- A birth certificate
- A statement by the local registrar or a county recorder certifying the child’s date of birth;
- An attested baptismal certificate
- A passport
- An affidavit of the date and place of birth by the child’s parent, legal guardian, person having
lawful control of the child, or person standing in loco parentis - Previous school records
- A United States military identification
More Scholarships
The Reform Alliance makes funding for student’s unique educational needs accessible. Take advantage of the funding and scholarship resources we provide today!
ACE
ACE Scholarships are financial grants that provide assistance to low-income students so that they may attend a private school.
Private Scholarships
Many K-12 private schools offer various forms of financial assistance to their families, including scholarships. The details of this assistance will vary from school to school, but some schools have strong philanthropic support to make sure any students with demonstrated need can still attend. If you have a specific private school in mind, be sure to ask them about scholarship options. If not, we are happy to share what information we have from certain schools, or on scholarships for certain student populations, such as dependents of military families.
How to Donate
Do you want your state income tax dollars to directly fund K-12 students in Arkansas?
Here’s your chance: The Reform Alliance (TRA) is accepting donations for the Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids (PIAK) scholarship program.
Who can contribute?
Individual or businesses that pay income taxes in Arkansas can claim a state tax credit for up to 100% of their annual income tax liability by donating to scholarship granting organizations, including TRA.
What does it do?
The donations will fund scholarships for K-12 students to attend qualified private schools. The scholarships gives students the chance to learn, grow and thrive in the environment that best meets their needs!
Here’s how it works:
Estimate your donation
Taxpayers estimate their 2024 Arkansas state income tax liability and make a donation. Then, they complete this credit application form and send it to in**@th***************.org.
Don’t worry if your donation exceeds your 2024 liability: You may carry your credits forward for up to three years.
TRA notifies the DF&A
The Reform Alliance will notify the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.
The Reform Alliance will also issue the K-12 scholarships for income-qualified students to attend a qualified private school of choice. Students flourish in schools that meet their needs!
DF&A issues tax credit
The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration will issue a tax credit certificate for the full amount of the contribution.
The amount available for state income tax credits is limited, so taxpayers need to act quickly to reserve their credits.
Learn more about how scholarships impact children’s education!
Succeed Scholarship – The Esters Family
The Succeed Scholarship Legacy
Educational Freedom Account – The Parrish Family