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All children deserve an education that best meets their needs.
70% of Arkansans support K-12 private school scholarship programs
Source: The Reform Alliance/Gilmore Strategies Group 2019
All children in every community deserve an education that meets their unique needs.
No matter what education looks like in the next few years, students with an opportunity scholarship will be able to learn in an environment that works best for them.
What is the Child Academic Opportunity Scholarship and Grant?
Every child deserves a chance to succeed, no matter their background, family’s income or where they are from. But very few can afford to send their child to a school they feel would better fit their child’s educational needs.
This program creates new opportunities for Arkansas to harness the power of private philanthropy to improve educational opportunities. The act makes small changes in the state tax code designed to incentivize philanthropic giving toward K-12 private school scholarships as well as grants for public schools serving predominantly low-income student populations. Through this process, tax-credit scholarship programs use entirely private funds to offer private school scholarships to families – a win-win for taxpayers.
Private-School Scholarships
To be eligible for these scholarships, students must:
- Be transferring from an Arkansas public school; and
- Have a household income at or below 200% of federal
poverty guidelines – about $53,000 for a family of four*
*Students who have an individualized education program (IEP), come from active-duty military families, have had a parent killed in the line of duty, or are in foster care are also eligible to receive scholarships.
The scholarships can be used to pay for a variety of services. Parents direct their children’s education funding to the state-approved schools, courses, programs and services of their choice, including:
- Tuition and fees at an approved private school
- Courses in local public schools
- Educational course materials like textbooks
- Tutoring services
- Testing fees for college-placement exams, industry certifications or other assessments
- Fees for academically focused after-school or summer
educational programs - Tuition, fees or materials at in-state or out-of-state institutions of higher education if students are dual-enrolled in high school and a postsecondary school
- Specialized services or therapies
Public School Grants
Grants are available for all public schools in Arkansas at which at least 55 percent of the student population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunches under the National School Lunch Act.
Public schools can use grants for a wide variety of educational expenses, including:
- Technology enhancements like wireless access points, computers or tablets
- Building upgrades for heating, ventilation, air conditioning or roof repairs
- Remote learning platform technology
- Social and emotional well-being programming for students and parents
- Professional development for staff working with diverse populations
- Sensory rooms and equipment for special education services
- Funding for economically disadvantaged public school student populations
Action Center
Arkansas lawmakers are considering creating a tax-credit scholarship and grant program to benefit the students that need it the most, but they need to hear from YOU!
Using this form, contact your lawmaker to show your support for empowering parents to make the best decisions for their children’s education.
Provided by ACE Scholarships.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Arkansas families need more education opportunities?
It is imperative that we empower individual families by giving them the support they need to create stable and continuous learning for their children. The Child Academic Opportunity Scholarship ensures and supports a high-quality, flexible and specialized education for Arkansas students.
Which students are eligible to apply for a scholarship account?
Eligible students must be transferring from a public school to a private school and come from a family with a household income of no more than 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines (about $53,000 for a family of four). Students who have an individualized education program (IEP), come from certain military families, or are in foster care are also eligible to receive scholarships.
Which schools are eligible to participate in the program?
To participate in the scholarship program, private schools must have been operating for at least one year and meet the accreditation requirements established by the Arkansas State Board of Education, the Arkansas Nonpublic School Accrediting Association or another accrediting association approved by the state. Schools are also eligible to participate if they are seeking accreditation and expect to receive that accreditation in the next four years.
Additionally, participating private schools must demonstrate that they are financially stable and agree to annually administer state assessments OR nationally norm-referenced tests for scholarship students.
How will the Child Academic Opportunity Scholarship and Grant be funded?
Donors receive a tax credit from the state—often a 100 percent, dollar-for-dollar credit to nonprofit organizations that provide scholarships or grants to eligible students and schools. Through this process, tax-credit scholarship programs use entirely private funds to offer private school scholarships to families.
In its first year, the program allows for up to $10 million in state income tax credits. Of this total amount, $6 million is reserved for public-school grants and $4 million is reserved for private-school scholarship accounts.
Both these credit caps are subject to their own “escalator clauses.” If 90 percent of either cap is fundraised in a given fiscal year, the cap will automatically grow by 25 percent in the following fiscal year. For example, if $3.6 million is raised against the $4 million private-school cap, that cap would automatically grow to $5 million in the following fiscal year.