There are two kinds of resources families can consider to subsidize their tuition. One is the School Tuition Organization (STO) scholarship and the other is the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA). Read below for information on each. 

Our goal is that financial need will never be a barrier to families seeking to provide their child with an academically rich education alongside meaningful encounters with Christ. We recommend that families that would like financial assistance apply to the ESA and to multiple STOs in order to determine which option is the better one for them. 

School Tuition Organizations (STOs) 

School Tuition Organizations (STOs) receive income tax credit contributions that fund scholarships for students to attend qualified private schools in Arizona. Great Hearts Christos has partnered with the following STOs to support our families who would like to use private school tax credits to fund their child’s education.  

Note that you can “stack” STO awards, which means that you can apply to several of the organizations below and combine awards (up to the total tuition amount). We recommend applying for both ESA and STO funds and making a decision during the summer about whether the ESA or the STO option is best for your family (note that you cannot combine ESA funds with STO funds). 

*Please confirm this information by viewing the organization’s website as dates are subject to change. 

Corporate STOs (for low-income families – see chart below) 

Substantial corporate tax credit scholarships await lower-income Christos families who apply to School Choice Arizona, Arizona Leadership Foundation, AAA, and Institute for Better Education. 

If your household income is less than the listed amount (in purple) for your household size, your child should meet the corporate tax credit low-income criterion.  

Universal Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) 

The Universal Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) is a scholarship program offered through the Arizona Department of Education that allows students to receive roughly $7,000 to pay for school tuition at a private school (the amount varies by year). 

Empowerment Scholarship Account | Arizona Department of Education (azed.gov)

Every family in Arizona is eligible to access an ESA for their K-12 students to pay for tuition. You need only your child’s birth certificate and a proof of residency (such as a utility bill). There are no income requirements. 

How does the ESA process work? Applying is a 10-minute process. Once approved, you can either pay the quarterly tuition and get reimbursed by ClassWallet or upload an invoice and have ClassWallet pay the quarterly tuition to Christos directly. 

Pay and Get Reimbursed: If you pay the Christos tuition yourself and then get reimbursed by ClassWallet, you will be reimbursed 100% of your ESA funds. 

OR 

Have ClassWallet Pay Christos Directly: You can submit your tuition invoice to ClassWallet every quarter, and they will pay Christos directly on your behalf. However, note that there is a 2.5641% service fee for doing so.  

Please note: You will be responsible to ensure that there are sufficient funds in your ClassWallet account to pay tuition, and you are responsible for the remaining tuition beyond the ESA funds.  

Where can I find more information? 

ESA website: www.azed.gov/esa. 
ClassWallet information: www.azed.gov/esa/classwallet.
For students who have a disability, a different ESA is available: www.azed.gov/esa/eligibility-requirements