Arkansas supports school choice for families through the Arkansas Educational Freedom Accounts Program and the Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids Scholarship.
Arkansas Educational Freedom Accounts
Arkansas Educational Freedom Accounts (EFA), initiated by the LEARNS Act in 2023, is a statewide Arkansas school choice program. The program is designed to provide all K-12 students in Arkansas with access to Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) by 2025. This program aims to empower families to use these funds for a broad spectrum of educational expenses, offering the means to access alternative educational resources that align with their children’s unique needs.
Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids Scholarship
Arkansas has another school choice program through its Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids Scholarship Program. This tax-credit scholarship initiative allows businesses to receive tax credits for their donations. These donations then fund scholarships for students to attend private schools. This program depends on business donations rather than automatic public funding.