Paying for tutoring with Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account funds (2026–27)
Short answer for 2026–27
Tutoring is an allowed expense in the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account, administered by the Arizona Department of Education. The main condition is the tutor's credential: an individual tutor must provide a high school diploma or higher degree, and a tutoring business with more than one tutor must provide an accreditation or a signed attestation that all its tutors have one. Tutors already registered for Pay Vendor in ClassWallet need no extra credential upload. Checked against the ESA Parent Handbook for school year 2025–26 (the edition the department currently posts) on October 15, 2026.
Verified against the source on October 15, 2026.
Verified against ESA Parent Handbook, School Year 2025–2026 (Arizona Department of Education), version 2025-07-01
- Source checked
- Published
- Updated
What is covered
Tutoring or teaching services are an approved purchasing category for all ESA students. The handbook lists academic and non-academic examples, including mathematics, reading, science, foreign language, music, art, swimming and driver's education, and says the list is not exhaustive (ESA Parent Handbook 2025–2026, p. 18). Dog training and any course the department deems inappropriately explicit are not allowed (p. 18). Travel costs for teachers or tutors are not allowed (p. 41).
Conditions
- Tutor credential: an individual needs a high school diploma or higher degree; a business with more than one tutor needs an accreditation or the ESA attestation form. Credentials cannot be expired, and foreign degrees must be translated and evaluated at the vendor's expense (p. 15, footnotes 7–8; p. 17).
- Screenshots do not count as a copy of a credential or attestation (p. 17).
- Invoice: must show the provider's name, address and contact details, invoice date and number, student name, an itemized description of services with dates of service and charges, and the total (p. 43). The department says payment-app or point-of-sale receipts alone are not enough for tutoring (ESA Support, 'Are invoices required?').
- Debit card or reimbursement: upload the receipt and the tutor's credential or the company's attestation form (p. 17); reimbursement also needs proof of payment (p. 43).
- Pay Vendor: no credential upload is needed (p. 48).
How to pay
- Check whether the tutor or tutoring company is registered for Pay Vendor in ClassWallet. If not, have the tutor's diploma or degree, or the company's attestation form, ready to upload.
- Pay through Pay Vendor by uploading the tutor's complete invoice, pay yourself and request reimbursement with a receipt and the tutor's credential, or pay with the ClassWallet debit card, which ADE issues only to account holders who have a student with a disability and who opt in through the ESA portal.
- Keep the invoice and proof of payment.
Before you book a tutor
Providers in this category
| Price and units | Qualifying evidence statuses | |
|---|---|---|
| Dojo Tutor (ClassDojo) | From $17 per 1-on-1 tutoring class (published as "Starting at $17"; unit not stated) | Confirmed: Dojo Tutor (ClassDojo), ArizonaConditional: Dojo Tutor (ClassDojo), Arizona |
| Firefly Tutors | Not published by the provider | Confirmed: Firefly Tutors, Arizona |
| Viva Phonics | Not published by the provider | Confirmed: Viva Phonics, Arizona |
How this table is compiled: sources and methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Does a tutor need a particular qualification?
Yes. An individual tutor must provide a high school diploma or higher degree, which serves as the accreditation. Homeschool diplomas are accepted and credentials cannot be expired. A business with more than one tutor must provide an accreditation or the ESA tutor/teaching attestation form for all its tutors. If you pay through Pay Vendor, the program has already checked the tutor, and you upload nothing extra. (ESA Parent Handbook 2025–2026, Chapter 3, 'Tutoring or teaching services', pp. 15, 17–19, 48.)