Arkansas EFA for schools: participating private school vs. service provider

EFA money is tuition paid by families, not a grant to your school. Rules change. Check ADE's pages before you rely on any date below.

Disclosure: Homebook is an ADE-approved Arkansas EFA vendor. This guide is general information drawn from ADE's own pages, not advice, and nothing here requires using Homebook.

Two doors in

ADE recognizes two kinds of places that can be paid from an EFA.

1. Participating private school. A private school that "offers enrolled students a full academic curriculum and full academic year experience." You need to be accredited, or an associate member of / applying to the Arkansas Nonpublic School Accrediting Association or another State-Board-recognized accreditor.

2. Educational service provider. ADE defines one as "a person or entity, not including a participating private school, that receives payments from program accounts." There are three categories:

• Full-time student-facing providers. The rule lists "micro-schools, learning pods, full-time home school co-op, full-time home school instructional support group, and contracted educators."
• Part-time student-facing providers. This includes a part-time home school co-op, tutors, therapists and transportation.
• Vendors, such as curriculum and assessment companies.

What this means for a microschool or co-op. If you aren't an accredited private school, your students are legally homeschoolers. ADE's family handbook says: "unless your microschool is an accredited private school, students educated at home or in parent-led microschools are legally considered homeschoolers." That means each family must:

• file a Notice of Intent to Homeschool: accepted from June 1, due August 15, then refiled every year;
• arrange its own annual test.

ADE now also posts a separate "2026-2027 Micro School Application." How ADE routes microschools between that form and the provider form isn't explained publicly. Call or email ADE to ask.

Participating-school requirements (ADE's list)

• Accreditation. Accredited, or in process. While in process, you file a progress report by September 30 each year and must be fully accredited by July 1 of the fourth year after applying.
• Money. Meet one of these: one year in operation; a CPA note confirming insurance and enough capital; or a surety bond or letter of credit equal to a quarter's funds.
• Teachers. A bachelor's degree "or equivalent experience."
• Background checks. Background checks and fingerprinting every five years, in place by August 1.
• Testing. An ADE-approved nationally norm-referenced test for EFA students each year.
• Core subjects. ELA, math, science and social studies.
• Same price. You can't charge EFA families a different tuition.
• Enrollment checks. Verify each EFA student in the ADE portal before every quarterly deposit.

Full-time provider requirements (ADE's list)

• Background checks for student-facing staff.
• Core subjects and assessment. Teach ELA, math, social studies and science, and assess students.
• Staff credential. At least one of: an Arkansas license, a degree in the subject, 3+ years of teaching, or other evidence of expertise.
• Price list. Publish a list of goods and services with prices.
• Surety bond if you receive $100,000 or more in EFA funds.

Applications are reviewed "on a rolling basis throughout the year."

What EFA pays for

For 2026-27, ADE lists: "tuition/fees, uniforms, testing, instructional materials, tutoring services, curricula, supplemental supplies, specific technology devices, transportation costs, and fees for college courses." ADE also says "Tuition expenses should be prioritized."

Watch: press reports say amended 2026 rules (a lower rollover cap, a non-qualifying list) took effect for 2026-27. ADE's posted rule (stamped 03/27/2026) doesn't show them yet. Unconfirmed.

Amounts and timing (2026-27)

• Amount: $7,208 per student ($1,802 a quarter). "Succeed" students get $8,011.
• Deposits to families: Aug 20, 2026; Oct 29, 2026; February 2027 (exact date unconfirmed, see note); Apr 8, 2027. Note: ADE's page says "February 4, 2026," which is almost certainly meant to be 2027. Unconfirmed: check with ADE.
• How you get paid: money goes to the family's ClassWallet account. You send a payment request, and you're paid when the parent accepts it.
• Family application window: 2026-27 ran March 9 – June 1, 2026. The 2027-28 dates aren't posted.

Your first steps

1. Decide which door fits. Accredited private school, or provider serving homeschool students.
2. Read the matching ADE page (links below).
3. Accreditation track: contact an approved accreditor now. It takes time.
4. Apply through ADE's form, then set up your ClassWallet account.
5. Put deposit dates in your budget, and plan for cash before August (How to apply for a small-business loan (and what lenders will ask for)).

ADE contact: Office of School Choice and Parent Empowerment, 501-683-1876, ade.efa@ade.arkansas.gov.

Neutral note for the builder: some school software companies, Homebook included, are approved EFA vendors. That's a payment status, not a state endorsement. Don't present it as one.