ESA Funding
Arizona's ESA can cover full tuition.
The ESA guide
Does Arizona's ESA pay for private school tuition?
Yes. Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program provides funds for eligible students to attend private schools like Goodwin Learning Academy, and ESA funds can cover full tuition costs for qualifying Arizona families. We are fully approved ESA vendors and can assist with the application process.
"ESA-approved" is a specific status: Goodwin Learning Academy is ESA Approved by the Arizona Department of Education, fully approved to accept Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) funding, making quality special education accessible to all Arizona families.
Does my child qualify for an ESA?
Yes, if you live in Arizona and your child could enroll in an Arizona public school in kindergarten through 12th grade, or in a public preschool program for children with disabilities (ARS 15-2401.01). A child with an IEP, MET report, 504 plan or independent educational evaluation can apply in the disability category (ADE, ESA Parent Handbook 2025-2026, p. 8), which also pays for things like therapies (ARS 15-2402(B)(4)(c)). In grades 1 to 12, that category usually asks for 45 days in an Arizona public school first (ARS 15-2401(7)(b)).
Who qualifies, which documents ADE accepts, and the 45-day rule
How much ESA funding will my child receive?
ESA award amounts vary from student to student, so we don't quote a single number here. The Arizona Department of Education is the authority on current award amounts. For qualifying families, ESA funds can cover full tuition costs.
Figures quoted around the web vary widely and go stale quickly. When you're ready, check the current numbers with the state, then bring them to a call. Our ESA support team at (602) 539-0150, ext. 103, talks families through what an award means for enrollment at GLA.
How do I apply for an ESA?
You apply online in ADE's ESA portal and upload every document with the application. ADE has 30 days to review a complete application, then you sign the ESA contract in the portal, and ADE funds accounts each quarter (ADE, ESA Parent Handbook 2025-2026, pp. 3 and 10-11).
ESA applications go through the Arizona Department of Education, and Goodwin Learning Academy can assist with the application process, including if your family is not enrolled in the ESA program yet. Helping families apply is a normal part of our admissions conversation, from the initial consultation onward.
The state's application lives with the Arizona Department of Education at azed.gov/esa. If the process feels overwhelming, that's normal. Bring it to your initial consultation, and have the items from our admissions document checklist handy, including your ESA account details and prior-year expenditure report if you're already enrolled.
What can ESA funds be used for?
For Goodwin Learning Academy families, the use that matters most is tuition: ESA funds can cover full tuition costs for qualifying Arizona families at our ESA-approved school. The complete list of allowable ESA expenses is defined by the Arizona Department of Education, and their ESA program site is the authority on what qualifies.
Every ESA can pay tuition and fees at a qualified school (ARS 15-2402(B)(4)(a)). In the disability category, it can also pay for educational therapies, a paraprofessional or aide, approved vocational and life skills tuition, and evaluations, assistive technology rentals and braille translation (ARS 15-2402(B)(4)(c)). For everything else, start with the state's ESA program site, or ask our ESA support team.
Will my child lose their IEP at a private school?
Goodwin Learning Academy creates an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) for every student, and it is our in-house plan for your child. We do not implement the IEP itself. We do take the accommodations listed on your child's most current IEP, add them to the ILP, and provide them.
Records review is step four of our admissions process: we read your child's current IEP, evaluations, and records, and we write the ILP from them. On an ESA, your child has no individual right to the special-education services they would get in public school, but your school district must still evaluate your child if you ask, or tell you in writing that it won't (ADE, ESA Parent Handbook 2025-2026, p. 34). We will walk through your family's specifics at the initial consultation.
ESA vs IEP in Arizona: what your child keeps and what changes
How we help
From ESA question to first day.
You don't need to arrive understanding the ESA program. Walking families through it is part of our job.
Talk to a real person
Our ESA support team has its own extension. Call with any ESA question, at any stage: before you apply, mid-application, or already enrolled in the program.
We help you apply
We are fully approved ESA vendors and can assist with the application process, including helping you apply for ESA funding if you're not currently enrolled.
ESA is part of enrollment
The Intake/Enrollment Meeting covers it directly: if GLA is a good fit, we work through enrollment paperwork together, discuss ESA funding, and schedule your child's first day.
This is step six of our admissions process.
ESA Support · Ext. 103
Talk to our ESA support team
Monday–Friday, 7:30 AM–5:00 PM
Prefer to put it in writing? Send your question instead.
Quick answers
The ESA answers you're looking up at 11pm.
The short versions: direct ESA answers, in plain language, answer first.
Is Goodwin Learning Academy ESA-approved?
Yes. Goodwin Learning Academy is ESA Approved by the Arizona Department of Education and fully approved to accept Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) funding. We are fully approved ESA vendors, and our team can assist with the application process if your family is not yet enrolled.
How does ESA funding work?
Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program provides funds for eligible students to attend private schools like Goodwin Learning Academy. We are fully approved ESA vendors and can assist with the application process, whether you are already enrolled in the program or applying for the first time. ESA funds can cover full tuition costs.
How much does tuition cost at Goodwin Learning Academy?
Goodwin Learning Academy is an ESA-approved private school, and ESA funds can cover full tuition costs for qualifying Arizona families. For current tuition details and what enrollment would look like for your family, contact our admissions team through the form on our contact page or by phone. We respond within 24 hours.
Questions beyond ESA? Read the full FAQ.
Programs & admissions
See what ESA funding makes possible.
Every program is individualized whether the instruction is taking place in your home, on our campus, or online.
Wherever you are in the ESA process, whether not yet applied, mid-application, or funded and choosing a school, start with a conversation. We respond within 24 hours.