Several federal programs serve private schools, not just public ones. Most aren't grants: one pays you back per meal, one lowers your internet bill, one sends services through your public school district, one is a building loan, and a few give you equipment. They renew every year, so once you're in, they keep helping.
Two things decide almost all of them:
- Nonprofit status. Most require a nonprofit school, and several want the IRS 501(c)(3) letter itself. A for-profit school (an LLC, a business corporation or a sole owner) can't use most of this page.
- Accreditation. Arkansas's rules for school meals and district services require accreditation (ANSAA or another accreditor the State Board approves), or for meals an ADE letter of recognition.
A church-run school is a special case. A church is tax-exempt without applying, but some programs below want an IRS letter, which a church only has if it applied for one or sits under its denomination's group ruling. Ask your CPA which entity should apply (the school or the church) before you file anything.
The programs at a glance
| Program | What you get | Who runs it in Arkansas | For-profit school? |
|---|---|---|---|
| School lunch and breakfast | A federal payment per meal, plus free or reduced-price meals for children who qualify | Arkansas DHS School Nutrition Programs | No |
| E-Rate | Discounts on internet and related equipment | USAC (federal) | No |
| District equitable services | Teacher training, tutoring, enrichment, technology and special-education services | Your local public school district, with an ADE ombudsman | No |
| USDA Community Facilities | Low-interest building loans, some grant money in the smallest towns | USDA Rural Development, Arkansas office | No |
| Federal Surplus Property | Furniture, vehicles, kitchen equipment at reduced cost | ADEM, North Little Rock | No |
| Computers for Learning | Free used federal computers (you pay shipping) | GSA (federal) | Not stated |
School lunch and breakfast
The National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs pay a school for each meal it serves, and the school offers free or reduced-price meals to children whose families qualify. In Arkansas, private schools apply through the Department of Human Services (DHS), not ADE: call School Nutrition Programs at 501-682-8869 for the forms.
The Arkansas handbook lists what you need: a nonprofit private school, current 501(c)(3) status shown by an IRS letter, and a current accreditation certificate or an ADE letter of recognition. You adopt a set of policies, DHS reviews them on site before your first claim, and you renew every year. The handbook we found is the 2016-17 edition, so confirm current dates with DHS.
E-Rate (internet discounts)
E-Rate lowers what a school pays for internet access, telecommunications services and related equipment. Your discount depends on how many of your students are eligible for school lunch and whether you're rural or urban. USAC says schools "operating as for-profit businesses" are not eligible.
It runs on a yearly cycle: post a Form 470 to ask vendors for bids, wait at least 28 days, pick the most cost-effective bid, then file a Form 471 in USAC's window. The 2026 window ran January 21 to April 1, 2026. The 2027 dates aren't announced yet, so a fall Form 470 keeps you ready.
District equitable services (Title I, II, IV and IDEA)
Federal law makes every public school district spend part of its Title money on students and teachers at nonprofit private schools in its area. In practice that means teacher training (Title II-A), enrichment and technology (Title IV-A), and tutoring for students who are behind and live in a Title I attendance area (Title I-A). Separately, districts must spend part of their special-education (IDEA) money on children with disabilities whose parents enrolled them in private schools, including religious ones.
You don't get a check. The district plans the services with you, pays for them, and keeps ownership of any equipment it places in your school. ADE's 2026-27 FAQ says a private school must be "a nonprofit incorporation registered with the Arkansas Secretary of State" and meet the accreditation standards of the State Board, ANSAA or another approved accreditor. ADE also says a school can be an EFA school and still receive these services.
The timing matters: districts are told to contact private schools in January and February and consult in March and April for the next school year. Call the federal programs coordinator in the district your building sits in now. If the district doesn't answer, contact ADE's Equitable Services Ombudsman, Alisha Ross, at 501-683-1243 or Alisha.Ross@ade.arkansas.gov.
A building in a rural town: USDA Community Facilities
USDA Rural Development lends money at low interest to build, buy or improve community facilities in towns of 20,000 people or fewer, and USDA's own list of eligible facilities includes private schools. The borrower must be a public body or a community-based nonprofit corporation. Grants (15% to 75% of the cost) exist only for the smallest, lower-income towns. The rules ask that a facility under private control serve a public purpose, so a building the community also uses, such as a gym open to the town, may make a stronger case. Talk with the Arkansas Rural Development office before filling out any forms.
Equipment and software
- Computers for Learning: federal agencies give used laptops, computers and tablets to schools for free; you pay pickup or shipping. You need an NCES school ID.
- Arkansas Federal Surplus Property: federal surplus furniture, vehicles and kitchen equipment at reduced cost. The private-school checklist asks for an IRS nonprofit determination, accreditation (or letters from three accredited schools) and your articles of incorporation.
- TechSoup: nonprofit pricing on software and hardware, for IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charities only. A church that never applied for IRS recognition can't join; one under a denomination's group exemption can.
- Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals: free for accredited schools. Google for Nonprofits doesn't take schools, and Google excludes "for-profit education companies."
If your school is for-profit
Most of this page won't fit, and that's not a judgment on your school. Your options are mostly loans, EFA tuition and the few grants that name for-profit schools: on the funding list, set Can a for-profit school apply? to Yes. If you're weighing a nonprofit structure or a companion nonprofit, read our page on fiscal sponsors and talk with your CPA or attorney first.