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Arkansas EFA for homeschool families

Education freedom account · Arkansas · 2026-27 · checked Oct 12, 2026 against 6 sources · General information, not legal or financial advice.

Your Arkansas EFA to-do

  1. Check that your child qualifies
    Homeschoolers can use an EFA and stay homeschoolers: the parent still files the Notice of Intent to homeschool with the school district every year, and ADE checks the NOI before funding the account. Homeschool parents must arrange the yearly test (grades K-10) themselves.
  2. Apply or renew for 2026-27
    The application and renewal period for 2026-27 ran March 9 - June 1, 2026 (through FACTS). ADE says applications sent after June 29, 2026 may be reviewed later, depending on funding, with no guarantee.
  3. File the Notice of Intent to homeschool
    Every year before the school year begins (the handbook says typically by August 15); ADE checks that homeschool students have an NOI before funding the account.
  4. Quarter 1 funds
    Thursday, August 20, 2026.
  5. Quarter 2 funds
    Thursday, October 29, 2026.
  6. Quarter 3 funds
    Thursday, February 4 (the ADE page prints "2026"; the 2026-27 year makes it 2027).
  7. Quarter 4 funds
    Thursday, April 8, 2027.
  8. Submit test results
    By June 30 each year (for 2025-26 tests: taken between March 1 and June 30, 2026).
  9. Report changes
    Tell the EFA program within 5 days if the child moves out of Arkansas, enrolls full-time in public school, or graduates.

Print the receipt checklist

What a valid Arkansas EFA receipt shows, and a log to fill in.

What Arkansas EFA says

Arkansas Children's Educational Freedom Account Program (LEARNS Act), run by Arkansas Department of Education, Office of School Choice and Parent Empowerment.

Homeschoolers
Homeschoolers can use it
Homeschoolers can use an EFA and stay homeschoolers: the parent still files the Notice of Intent to homeschool with the school district every year, and ADE checks the NOI before funding the account. Homeschool parents must arrange the yearly test (grades K-10) themselves.
Amount
WhoGradesPer year
General (non-Succeed)K-12$7,208
2026-27: $1,802 a quarter. Net amount to the student after transaction fees. Unused funds roll over quarter to quarter and year to year until the balance passes $20,000 (or 3 times the yearly amount, whichever is greater).
Former Succeed Scholarship studentK-12$8,011
2026-27: $2,002.75 a quarter. Only for students who were in the Succeed Scholarship Program in 2022-23.
What you can spend on
  • Homeschool Curricula and Textbooks
  • Educational Software and Apps
  • Tutoring or Academic Classes
  • Therapy Services for Special Needs
  • Standardized Test Fees
  • Private School Tuition and Fees
  • Required School Uniforms
  • Dual Enrollment Courses
  • Technology for Education (devices over $1,000 need a school requirement or a professional's justification)
  • Transportation Services (not above the state mileage reimbursement rate)
  • Academic Competition Fees
  • General School Supplies
  • Co-curricular Courses
  • Extra-curricular Activities (capped: Extracurricular/PE/Field Trip category up to 25% of the yearly funds)
  • Musical Instruments & Sports Equipment (PE and extra-curricular items count toward the 25% cap)
  • Membership Dues (zoos, museums, gyms, clubs; count toward the 25% cap)
What a receipt must show
  • Direct Pay: the vendor's invoice (or an approved cart screenshot) must show the vendor's name, a clear name or description of each item (dates or time period for services), itemized prices and the total cost, and the name of the EFA student.
  • Reimbursement: upload the receipt in ClassWallet's Reimbursement section; it must show the vendor's name and contact information, a clear description of each item (dates or time period for services), itemized prices and the total cost, and the date of purchase.
  • Under the rule, a parent may be reimbursed only for preapproved expenses (course and testing fees, curriculum, online course tuition and fees, tutoring, therapy, transportation): submit a preapproval request first, then a receipt that matches it.
  • Keep copies of receipts, invoices and order confirmations for all EFA purchases in case of an audit.
Where you submit
ClassWallet · site
Both direct pay and reimbursement
Learning plan
Not required
Testing
Yes. Every year, students in grades K-10 take the state test or an ADE-approved nationally norm-referenced test in at least literacy and math. Homeschool parents arrange the test (it can be paid with EFA funds) and submit the results to ADE by June 30. Missing results put continued eligibility at risk.
Renewal
Yearly: families must renew for every participating student during the application window (new and returning students apply in the same portal). Core documents stay on file; testing results and the NOI must be in order.
The 2026-27 amounts, application window and funding dates are from 2026-27 sources; the expense, receipt and testing details come from the 2025-26 Family Handbook and the current rule, because the 2026-27 handbook was not published when checked.
2024-25: 14,256 active accounts, of which 3,422 (24%) were used for homeschooling (the first year homeschool was eligible).
Universal eligibility (all K-12 students) since 2025-26; the 2025-26 handbook expected no enrollment cap. For 2026-27, ADE says applications are accepted but late ones depend on available funding.
Family support moved to SchoolChoiceAR (Outschool.org with ADE): help@schoolchoicear.org, 501-462-4388. Applications go through FACTS; spending through ClassWallet.
The 2026-27 Family Handbook was announced for September 1, 2026 but was not linked on the ADE page on 2026-10-12.

Sources

General information, not legal or financial advice. Programs change their rules every year; check with Arkansas Department of Education, Office of School Choice and Parent Empowerment before you spend. If something looks wrong, tell us.

How Homepen helps

Homepen keeps your days, hours and records, and reminds you of the testing deadline. A receipt vault (snap a receipt, pick the child and category, mark it submitted) is coming in a later version.

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