Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account, usually called the ESA, is a state school-choice program. It moves a share of state education funding into an account that you control, and you can spend it on private school tuition and other approved education expenses. If you have wondered whether a Montessori or language immersion school is within reach, the ESA may change the math.
This guide covers what the program is, who qualifies, how the award amount is set, and what the funds can pay for. It also explains where preschool-age children fit, because the rules there are narrower than most families expect. Amici Trilingual Montessori in Ahwatukee accepts ESA funds, and we are glad to walk you through how the program applies to your family.
What the Arizona ESA Is
The ESA is run by the Arizona Department of Education. When you enroll in it, the state stops funding your child’s seat in a public school. Instead it distributes funds to an account for your child, and you use that account to pay for approved education expenses.
The trade is straightforward. Signing the ESA contract means your child does not attend a public or charter school at the same time. You are choosing private education, paid for out of your share of state education dollars.
Who Qualifies
Eligibility became universal in 2022. Any K-12 student who is eligible to enroll in an Arizona public school can apply.
There is no income requirement. You do not need to show financial need, and you do not need a special circumstance. That is the biggest change from how the program worked before 2022, when it was limited to specific categories of students.
Where Preschool-Age Children Fit
This is the question we hear most, and the answer is narrower than families hope. A child below kindergarten age qualifies for the ESA only if the child has an IEP, a MET report, or a 504 plan. Without one of those documents, the account is not available until your child reaches kindergarten age.
So if your three-year-old has no IEP or 504 plan, plan on other funding for the preschool years, with the ESA becoming an option at kindergarten. If your child does have one of those documents, start the conversation early, because gathering paperwork takes time.
How the Award Amount Is Determined
The amount is set by a state funding formula. The school does not set it and neither do you. It is based on state per-pupil funding, and it varies with your child’s grade level and with whether your child qualifies for additional funding, such as a student with a disability who needs added services.
Award amounts are adjusted from year to year, so any figure you read on a blog can be out of date by the time you apply. Check the current amount for your child’s situation on the official portal at azed.gov/esa before you build a budget around it.
What ESA Funds Can Pay For
Tuition at a qualified private school is the largest expense for most families, but the account covers more than tuition. Approved expenses include:
- Tuition and fees at a qualified private school
- Required textbooks
- Tutoring and teaching services
- Curricula and supplementary learning materials
- Educational technology
- Nationally norm-referenced testing
The Arizona Department of Education maintains the full and current list of approved expenses, along with the rules for documenting each purchase. Read it before you spend. Whether an expense qualifies depends on the rules in force at the time you make the purchase.
How to Apply
- Go to the official ESA portal at azed.gov/esa.
- Create an account and complete the application. Have proof of Arizona residency and your child’s birth certificate ready.
- Gather supporting documents. For a preschool-age child, that means the IEP, MET report, or 504 plan.
- Wait for the state to review your application. Processing times vary, and the department publishes current guidance on what to expect.
- Sign the ESA contract once you are approved. This is the step where you agree that your child will not attend a public or charter school.
- Spend from the account on approved expenses once funds are distributed to it.
Because processing times vary, apply well ahead of the date you want your child to start. Do not assume the funds will be in the account by a particular week.
Using ESA and DES Assistance at Amici
Amici Trilingual Montessori accepts ESA funds. We also accept Arizona DES childcare assistance, which matters for families whose preschooler does not have an IEP or 504 plan and so is not yet eligible for the ESA.
Our program runs from birth through second grade, with Mandarin, Spanish, and English woven through the day rather than taught as a separate subject. Families often use DES assistance during the preschool years and then move to the ESA once their child reaches kindergarten age. We can talk through how that timing would work for your child.
What we cannot do is tell you what your award will be. That number comes from the state. What we can do is tell you our tuition, explain how payments work, and help you think about what the account is likely to cover.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ESA funds for preschool?
Only in one situation. A child below kindergarten age qualifies for the ESA only with an IEP, a MET report, or a 504 plan. If your preschooler does not have one of those, the account is not available yet. It becomes available once your child is old enough to enroll in kindergarten in Arizona.
Do I have to show financial need to qualify?
No. Arizona opened the ESA to universal eligibility in 2022, and there is no income requirement. Any student who is eligible to enroll in an Arizona public school can apply, whatever the family earns. You do not need to document your income or fit into a special category of student.
How much money will my ESA hold?
The state sets the amount with a funding formula, and it is adjusted from year to year. It also varies by grade level and by whether your child qualifies for additional funding. Because of that, we do not quote a figure. Look up the current amount for your child at azed.gov/esa before you build a budget.
Can ESA funds be used at a Montessori school?
Yes. The funds can pay tuition at any qualified private school, and that includes Montessori and language immersion programs. Amici Trilingual Montessori accepts ESA funds. A school has to be qualified under the program rules, so confirm a school’s current status with the school and with the state before you enroll.
How long does the application take?
Processing times vary, and they shift with application volume. The Arizona Department of Education publishes current guidance on its ESA pages, so check there rather than trusting a timeline you read somewhere else. Apply earlier than you think you need to, and do not commit to a start date that assumes fast approval.
Come and See the School
The best way to decide is to walk through a classroom on an ordinary day. You will see children moving between three languages without being asked to, and you will see how a prepared Montessori environment actually works.
Amici Trilingual Montessori is at 1244 E. Chandler Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85048, in Ahwatukee. We are open Monday through Friday, 7:00am to 6:00pm. Email info@amicimontessori.org to arrange a tour, and bring your ESA questions with you. If you are still deciding whether to apply, come first and apply after. There is no cost to look.
Come and see the school
Amici Trilingual Montessori is a Mandarin, Spanish and English immersion Montessori school at 1244 E. Chandler Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85048, in Ahwatukee. We are open Monday to Friday, 7:00am to 6:00pm, and we serve children from infancy through second grade.
