How to use ESA funds to home educate in Arizona

Eligibility lives on the Arizona ESA hub. This page is the spending map: how home educators pay, which ClassWallet path to pick, and how that differs from a county homeschool affidavit.

Read Arizona ESA 2026-27 eligibility and funding first if you do not have an account yet. ADE reported 104,644 students on 2026-27 contracts as of August 31, 2026, with Quarter 1 still catching late renewals. [1]

Which payment path to use

Arizona ESA money moves in ClassWallet. Pick one path per purchase. Mixing them on the same invoice creates a mess. [2]

• ClassWallet Marketplace (direct): Best when the vendor is listed, including Outschool. You shop inside ClassWallet and ESA funds pay the vendor. This is the cleanest path for live classes and tutoring.
• Direct Pay / Pay Vendor: Use when the vendor is registered but not fully in the catalog. ADE describes a green Direct Pay banner. You send an invoice through ClassWallet instead of a storefront checkout.
• Reimbursement: Pay with your own money, then submit a detailed invoice, proof of payment, and a valid credential. Link a bank account first. Use this only when Marketplace and Direct Pay are not available.
• Cash with no claim: Fine for extras you do not want in the ESA file. Do not later try to reimburse a purchase that was never eligible.

Florida families hear EMA language. Arizona does not use EMA. Stay on ClassWallet terms.

ESA home education is not the affidavit path

When you sign an ESA contract, the student is in nonpublic instruction through the program. You do not file a homeschool affidavit with the county superintendent. If you already filed one, withdraw it.

The contract replaces the affidavit and still requires instruction in reading, grammar, math, social studies, and science under A.R.S. §15-2402(B)(1). Students cannot sit in public or charter seats, even part-time, and should not take an STO scholarship at the same time.

How to book Outschool with ESA funds

1. Enter ClassWallet from the ESA Applicant Portal
2. Search Outschool in the marketplace
3. Select the class that matches a core or planned subject
4. Complete checkout with ESA funds

If ClassWallet cannot find the vendor, stop. Do not pay cash and hope. Use Direct Pay or ask ClassWallet (1-877-969-5536) which path they want.

FSTC (donor credit, 31 states, 2027) does not pay this invoice. [3] For expense categories, see the approved-list guide.

What home educators can pay for

Typical yes-list items: curriculum and kits, tutoring, online classes, educational therapies when the student has a qualifying disability category, learning tech used for schoolwork, and supplies like manipulatives or science kits. ADE still expects a valid educational purpose. [1][2]

July 2026 handbook change: supplemental materials can clear on an attestation naming the course of study, without a receipt upload. Other categories still need standard ClassWallet paperwork.

What funds cannot cover

• Entertainment hardware: TVs, phones, game consoles
• Food, lodging, household goods
• Gift cards or cash
• Vendor rebates of ESA dollars back to the family
• Vendors that do not meet ESA standards

Watch for

• Paying cash first when the vendor is already in Marketplace. You add delay and extra paperwork.
• Leaving an old homeschool affidavit on file after you sign an ESA contract.
• Part-time public or charter enrollment. That breaks the contract.
• STO scholarships stacked on ESA.

Records that sit next to ClassWallet

Keep a simple hour or subject log even though ESA replaces the affidavit. Core subjects still have to happen. Our hours-by-grade guide and record-keeping guide cover the parent-side paper, not ADE's wallet.

FAQ

Do I file a homeschool affidavit?

Not while the ESA contract is active. Withdraw an old affidavit if you already filed one.

Can I mix cash classes with ESA classes?

Yes. Pay ESA-eligible enrollments through ClassWallet. Pay anything that will not clear with your own card and do not submit it.

Is Outschool on ClassWallet?

Yes. Search Outschool in the marketplace and complete the purchase there.

Sources

[1] Arizona Department of Education. Empowerment Scholarship Account. https://www.azed.gov/esa

[2] Arizona Department of Education. ClassWallet information, including reimbursement. https://www.azed.gov/esa/classwallet

[3] IRS. Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC). https://www.irs.gov/government-entities/federal-state-local-governments/federal-scholarship-tax-credit-fstc

When you want a teacher-led block in a core subject, browse homeschool classes.