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SCHOLARSHIP GUIDE

Navigating scholarships can be overwhelming for many parents.  Ambassador Christian Academy will partner with you wherever possible to ensure a solid Christian education is attainable for your family.  If at any time you have questions or need help with applications, please give us a call (480) 387-0902.  Below is a summary of the 3 different types of scholarships and the Scholarship Tuition Organizations (STOs) that provide them.

Tax Credit Scholarships

The state of Arizona allows residents to make donations to School Tuition Organizations and in return they receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit that is applied to their state return. So, if they normally receive a refund, that refund will be even larger.  If they owe, their tax liability will decrease.  There are limits to donations made yearly depending on how your taxes are filed. Please see 2024 tax credit limits below.

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Out-of-state donations can only be reported on federal returns. Donations made to STOs can be recommended for a specific student or school by the donor.  Recommendations are not required for a student to receive a scholarship, however, if your student receives a recommendation, they are more likely to receive a scholarship. It is imperative that families actively seek out family and friends to donate and then recommend their children.  There are 2 types of tax credit scholarships, Individual and Overflow.

Individual Scholarships

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Any student that is enrolled in a qualified school and has an updated application on file, is eligible for the individual tax credit scholarships.

 

Switcher/Overflow Scholarships

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Students who meet one of the requirements below are eligible for the Switcher/Overflow scholarships.

  1. The student attended an Arizona district or charter school for at least 90 days in the prior school year and then transferred to a private school.

  2. The student is currently enrolled in kindergarten at a private school.

  3. The student is a dependent of a member of the U.S. Armed Forces who is stationed in Arizona under military orders.

  4. The student was homeschooled immediately prior to enrolling in a private school.

  5. The student moved to Arizona from out of state immediately prior to enrolling in a private school.

  6. The student participated in the ESA program and did not renew or accept the scholarship in order to accept STO scholarships.

  7. The student previously received an Overflow or Corporate Scholarship in a prior year and has attended private school continuously since.

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Please visit the websites of the following STOs that offer individual or switcher/overflow scholarships.

ACSTO, School Choice Arizona , Arizona Tax Credit, APESF, Arizona Tuition Connection, IBE,

STO4KIDZ

Corporate Tax Credit Scholarships

Corporate scholarships are funded through S Corps and C Corps that owe Arizona corporate income tax.  They can donate a portion or all of their tax obligation to an STO and in turn, receive tax credits on their business tax filings.  These corporations cannot recommend a student, but they can recommend a specific school. Families do not have to actively seek donations for their student to receive an award, however, there are eligibility requirements that must be met.  There are 2 types of corporate tax credit scholarships, low-income and disabled/displaced.

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Low-Income Scholarships

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To qualify for this scholarship, students must meet 2 eligibility requirements. The first requirement is falling within the household income thresholds listed below.

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The students must also meet one of the following eligibility criteria.

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  • Student attended an Arizona public school as a full-time student for at least 90 days of the prior fiscal year, or one full semester and then transferred from the public school to a private school.  Those students who transfer to a qualified private school after the first full semester are eligible to receive a scholarship that same academic year. OR

  • Is enrolling in a private school kindergarten; OR

  • Has an IEP or MET issued by an Arizona public school; OR

  • Is a dependent of a member of the armed forces of the United States who is stationed in Arizona pursuant to military orders; OR

  • Received a low-income corporate scholarship (under above criteria), or an original individual scholarship, or a switcher individual scholarship in a prior year and the child continued to attend a private school in subsequent years; OR

  • Student was homeschooled in a prior school year and then directly enrolled in a qualified private school. The student is also eligible if the transition occurs within the same academic year, as long as the transition is from homeschooling directly to the qualified private school; OR

  • Student moved to Arizona from out of state, or internationally, and enrolled directly in a qualified private school; OR

  • Student participated in the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program and did not renew the account or accept the scholarship, in order to accept an STO scholarship.

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Disabled/Displaced Scholarships

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In order for students to receive a disabled displaced scholarship, they must meet one of the following eligibility criteria.

  • Student has an IEP, MET or 504 plan from an Arizona public school; OR

  • Student was placed at one time in the Arizona foster care system (to be verified by the Arizona Department of Economic Security).

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Please visit the websites of the following STOs that offer low-income or disabled/displaced scholarships.

Arizona Leadership Foundation, School Choice Arizona, Tops for Kids, Arizona Tuition Connection, IBE, Pappas Kids, Arizona Tax Credit, AAA Scholarship Foundation, APESF, CTSO,

STO4KIDZ

Empowerment
Scholarship Account

The ESA program is administered by the state of Arizona and funded by state tax dollars.    Parents can use these scholarships to pay for private school tuition, homeschool curriculum, tutoring and other items for educational purposes. Students who use ESA accounts cannot be enrolled in a public school, in person or online.  In addition, you cannot accept any other scholarships in the same school year if you have a signed ESA contract. 

Once approved, parents will receive a contract showing the amount of the quarterly payments. ESA accepts applications year-round.  Students will receive funding in the same quarter that their contract was signed.

There are 2 types of ESA scholarships, Universal and Students with a Disability.

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Universal ESA 

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Any student who is at least 5 years old (by Jan 1st of the contract year) and resides in the state of Arizona is eligible for the Universal ESA scholarship.

 

Student with a Disability

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Students who are 5 years old (by Jan 1st of the contract year) and reside in the state of Arizona must meet one of the following criteria to qualify for this ESA scholarship.

  • Student must have been enrolled in an Arizona public school for at least 45 days. This requirement can also be met with online hours.

The student may be exempt from this requirement if:

  1. The student has not previously attended a governmental primary (K-12) school but is currently eligible to enroll in a kindergarten program (must be five years old on or before January 1st of the application year)

  2. The student has not previously attended a governmental primary (K-12) school but is currently eligible to enroll in a 1st grade program (must be six years old on or before September 1st of the application year)

  • The Student has a current MET/Evaluation Report or Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan from an Arizona public school.

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Please visit https://www.azed.gov/esa to apply for an ESA scholarship.

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