Arkansas Education Freedom Accounts (EFA)
Award amounts: 2025–26 Arkansas EFA Annual Report (University of Arkansas with the Arkansas Department of Education), September 2026. School list: Arkansas Department of Education, Current EFA Schools List, as of Nov 1, 2026. Funding depends on eligibility, approval and available funds.
EFA is Arkansas’s education savings account, the program most families call the Arkansas school voucher. The published 2026–27 figure is $7,208 per student. Base award for an approved student
Who runs it and how to apply
EFA is run by the Arkansas Department of Education's Office of School Choice and Parent Empowerment, with funds paid through ClassWallet. Families apply through the official site, dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/office-of-school-choice-and-parent-empowerment/education-freedom-accounts. The 2026–27 application window closed June 1, 2026; check the official site for the next one.
What schools must do to take part
Participating private schools must be approved by the Arkansas Department of Education and meet the program's accreditation rules. EFA students take an annual standardized test, either the state assessment or a nationally norm-referenced test.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Arkansas school voucher for private school?
$7,208 per student for the 2026–27 school year at an approved private school. Students who previously had a SUCCEED Scholarship receive $8,011.
Is EFA a school voucher?
Yes, in everyday terms. EFA is an education savings account (ESA), which most people call the Arkansas school voucher. Instead of a paper voucher, approved families receive funds in an account they use for tuition and other approved costs at participating schools.
Does every applicant get EFA funding?
Not automatically. Since 2025–26 any Arkansas student in kindergarten through grade 12 can apply, but each application must be approved: for 2026–27, 55,649 of 65,036 applicants had been approved by September 2026. Funding depends on eligibility, approval and available funds.
Which Christian schools accept the Arkansas school voucher?
Schools must be approved by the program. This site lists 74 Christian and Catholic schools confirmed on the official participating list (as of November 1, 2026).
How is cost after funding calculated?
The tuition the school publishes, minus the standard award, never below zero. Fees such as registration, books and transportation may apply on top.
Schools that accept the EFA voucher, by city
Cities with fewer than 3 participating schools are on the Arkansas city list.