# ESA award amounts for 2026-27: what is known as of October 2026 **Published:** 2026-10-11 **Author:** Michael Janzen **Categories:** Updates **Keywords:** arizona esa amount 2026-27, esa funding chart arizona, how much is an arizona esa, empowerment scholarship account amount 2026, esa changes 2026 arizona --- As of 11 October 2026 the Arizona Department of Education has not published a 2026-27 ESA funding chart; the 2025-26 chart, uploaded April 2026, remains current. It lists $7,105 to $10,540 for grades 1-12 without a disability, $4,718 to $6,205 for kindergarten, and disability categories from $7,247 to $47,725. The FY2027 budget funds a 2.0 percent base-level inflation increase, so 2026-27 awards should run about 2 percent higher, an inference rather than an ADE figure. The 2026 legislative session ended June 13, 2026 without changes to the ESA statutes. --- > ADE has not published a 2026-27 ESA funding chart. The 2025-26 chart still applies, with grade 1-12 awards of $7,105 to $10,540, and the state budget suggests roughly 2 percent more this year. --- As of 11 October 2026, the Arizona Department of Education has not published an ESA funding chart for 2026-27. The 2025-26 chart, uploaded in April 2026, is still the chart ADE links from its support page, and it is the best guide to what a family can expect this year. The state budget for the year suggests awards about 2 percent higher, but that is my inference, not an ADE number. ## The current chart (2025-26) An Empowerment Scholarship Account pays 90 percent of the base support level plus additional assistance the student would generate at a charter school (A.R.S. 15-2402), so the amount depends on grade and on any disability category. ADE's "Approximate Annual ESA Funding" chart for 2025-26 lists: | Category | Approximate annual award, 2025-26 | |---|---| | Grades 1-12, no disability | $7,105 to $10,540 | | Kindergarten, no disability | $4,718 to $6,205 | | K-3 add-on | $150 to $200 | | English language learner add-on | $100 to $150 | | Student with a 504 plan | $7,105 to $9,916 | | Disability categories | $7,247 to $47,725 (for example, SLD, SLI or OHI $8,423 to $12,001; autism, MD or SID $34,121 to $47,725) | Preschool and kindergarten students with a disability other than preschool severe delay receive half the listed amount. ADE calculates the exact figure when it processes the application. ## What ADE's distribution report shows ADE's FY2026 fourth-quarter report (31 August 2026) describes what families actually received: "Three-quarters of ESA scholarships are between $7,000 and $9,000." The most common award was $7,247, the lowest $4,718, and annualized awards for Q4 enrollees totalled $1,090,228,062 across 99,709 students (70,613 K-12 universal, 19,577 K-12 with a disability). ADE's home page showed 107,859 students enrolled for 2026-27 as of 5 October 2026. ## What 2026-27 will probably look like The FY2027 state budget, as summarized by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, funds a 2.0 percent inflation increase to the base level that school funding and ESA awards are built on, and assumes 113,602 ESA students and $1,215,678,900 in awards. Because an ESA is a percentage of that base level, 2026-27 awards should run roughly 2 percent above the 2025-26 chart. I am stating that as an inference from the budget; ADE has not published 2026-27 figures, and the exact amount for your child is only known when ADE processes the application. Check the [ESA support page](https://www.azed.gov/esa/esa-support) for the chart; I will update this post and the [ESA guide](/esa) when it appears. ## What changed in 2026, and what did not **Did not change.** The ESA statutes (A.R.S. 15-2401 through 15-2403) were not amended in the 2025 or 2026 sessions. The 2026 session ended on 13 June 2026 without an ESA reform bill, and the governor declined to call a special session. No ESA measure is on the 3 November 2026 ballot: Proposition 212, an income cap, was kept off the ballot on 18 August 2026, and a competing legislative referral was struck in July. Universal eligibility, the no-public-school rule, quarterly funding through ClassWallet and the 2025-26 Parent Handbook all stand. **Did change, administratively.** ADE announced on 3 November 2025 that new applicants give the last four digits of a Social Security or taxpayer number (existing holders entered theirs at their 2026-27 renewal), and residency is re-verified each year. A May 2026 Auditor General report criticized ADE's auto-approval of purchases under $2,000; ADE disagreed with most of the findings in its written response and said it runs risk-based audits of auto-processed orders; no change to the practice had been announced as of 12 October 2026. A July 2026 settlement replaces curriculum-document submission for supplementary materials with a parent attestation by the second quarter of FY2027. For how the program works, the application steps and the rule that an ESA student cannot also be enrolled in a public school, see the [ESA guide](/esa) and [paying for school](/paying-for-school). ## Sources and where to verify - [ADE: approximate annual ESA funding chart, 2025-26 (PDF)](https://www.azed.gov/sites/default/files/2026/04/ESA%20Funding%20Chart%20%202025.2026.pdf) - [ADE: ESA support page (where the current chart is linked)](https://www.azed.gov/esa/esa-support) - [ADE: ESA FY2026 Q4 executive and legislative report (PDF)](https://www.azed.gov/sites/default/files/2026-09/ESA%20FY26%20Q4%20Executive%20_%20%20Legislative%20Report.pdf) - [JLBC: FY2027 appropriations report, Department of Education (PDF)](https://www.azjlbc.gov/27AR/ade.pdf) - [A.R.S. § 15-2402: ESA award formula and parent agreements](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/15/02402.htm) - [ADE: Arizona resident verification program, November 2025 (PDF)](https://www.azed.gov/sites/default/files/2025/11/New%20Arizona%20Resident%20Verification%20Program.pdf) - [Axios Phoenix: legislature adjourns without ESA reforms (June 15, 2026)](https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2026/06/15/arizona-legislature-adjourns-sine-die-esa-reforms-ballot-measures) - [KOLD: ESA audit and ADE's response (May 14, 2026)](https://www.kold.com/2026/05/14/arizona-esa-voucher-program-audit-reveals-oversight-concerns/) - [KTAR: Prop 212 will not make the ballot (August 2026)](https://ktar.com/arizona-education/esa-reform-prop-212-wont-make-arizona-voters-ballot) ## Frequently asked questions ### How much is an Arizona ESA for 2026-27? ADE has not published a 2026-27 chart. The 2025-26 chart lists $7,105 to $10,540 for grades 1-12 without a disability and $4,718 to $6,205 for kindergarten; the state budget's 2 percent base-level increase suggests 2026-27 awards about 2 percent higher. ### What does a typical family actually receive? ADE's Q4 FY2026 report says three-quarters of awards were between $7,000 and $9,000, with $7,247 the most common amount. ### Did the legislature change the ESA program in 2026? No. The 2026 session ended June 13 without amending the ESA statutes, and no ESA measure is on the November 2026 ballot. ### Why is kindergarten funded at a lower amount? Because the state funds kindergarten at a half-day rate, and an ESA is a percentage of what the student would generate at a public school. ### Where will the 2026-27 chart appear? On ADE's ESA support page, which links the current chart. I will update this post when it is published. ## Related guides - [What is an Arizona ESA, how much is it, and how do I apply?](/esa) - [Paying for private school in Arizona](/paying-for-school) - [Your school options in Arizona](/school-options) - [My child has an IEP or 504 plan](/iep-and-504) *Last reviewed October 12, 2026. Figures change; the sources above are where to check.* --- ## Frequently Asked Questions **Q: How much is an Arizona ESA for 2026-27?** A: ADE has not published a 2026-27 chart. The 2025-26 chart lists $7,105 to $10,540 for grades 1-12 without a disability and $4,718 to $6,205 for kindergarten; the state budget's 2 percent base-level increase suggests 2026-27 awards about 2 percent higher. **Q: What does a typical family actually receive?** A: ADE's Q4 FY2026 report says three-quarters of awards were between $7,000 and $9,000, with $7,247 the most common amount. **Q: Did the legislature change the ESA program in 2026?** A: No. The 2026 session ended June 13 without amending the ESA statutes, and no ESA measure is on the November 2026 ballot. **Q: Why is kindergarten funded at a lower amount?** A: Because the state funds kindergarten at a half-day rate, and an ESA is a percentage of what the student would generate at a public school. **Q: Where will the 2026-27 chart appear?** A: On ADE's ESA support page, which links the current chart. I will update this post when it is published. --- ## Citations - [ESA support page](https://www.azed.gov/esa/esa-support) - [ADE: approximate annual ESA funding chart, 2025-26 (PDF)](https://www.azed.gov/sites/default/files/2026/04/ESA%20Funding%20Chart%20%202025.2026.pdf) - [ADE: ESA FY2026 Q4 executive and legislative report (PDF)](https://www.azed.gov/sites/default/files/2026-09/ESA%20FY26%20Q4%20Executive%20_%20%20Legislative%20Report.pdf) - [JLBC: FY2027 appropriations report, Department of Education (PDF)](https://www.azjlbc.gov/27AR/ade.pdf) - [A.R.S. § 15-2402: ESA award formula and parent agreements](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/15/02402.htm) - [ADE: Arizona resident verification program, November 2025 (PDF)](https://www.azed.gov/sites/default/files/2025/11/New%20Arizona%20Resident%20Verification%20Program.pdf) - [Axios Phoenix: legislature adjourns without ESA reforms (June 15, 2026)](https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2026/06/15/arizona-legislature-adjourns-sine-die-esa-reforms-ballot-measures) - [KOLD: ESA audit and ADE's response (May 14, 2026)](https://www.kold.com/2026/05/14/arizona-esa-voucher-program-audit-reveals-oversight-concerns/) - [KTAR: Prop 212 will not make the ballot (August 2026)](https://ktar.com/arizona-education/esa-reform-prop-212-wont-make-arizona-voters-ballot) --- ## Key Entities - **Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account program** (Program) - **Arizona Department of Education** (GovernmentOrganization) - **Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee** (GovernmentOrganization) - **A.R.S. § 15-2402** (Legislation)