How it Works

Scholarship Opportunities

IBE offers 4 different types of scholarships:

1. Original Individual
2. PLUS/Switcher
3. Corporate Low Income
4. Corporate Disabled/Displaced

Original Individual

Any child enrolled full time, grades K-12 or a preschool student with an Arizona public school MET or IEP, attending a private school is eligible for the Original Individual program.

Individual taxpayer contributions provide scholarships through the Original Individual program.

Families may apply for financial aid through the Original Individual Program and they may also choose to solicit friends and family members to recommend donations on their behalf through our Recommended Funds program.

PLUS/Switcher

Any child enrolled full time, grades K-12 or a preschool student with an Arizona public school MET or IEP, attending a private school and who also meets at least one of the criteria listed below is eligible for the PLUS/Switcher program.

• Entering kindergarten
• Received a previous Low-Income Corporate, “PLUS”/Switcher or Corporate Displaced/Disabled scholarship in a previous academic year and continued to attend a qualified private school
• Transferring from:
  • An Arizona public or charter school with at least 90 days of attendance in the previous academic year or one full semester in the same year; or
  • Transferring from an Arizona homeschool program; or
  • Transferring from the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program in the previous academic semester; or
  • A public, private or homeschool program from out of state or out of country.
• Disabled preschooler enrolled in a qualified disabled preschool
• Dependent of active duty military stationed in Arizona on orders

Eligible families may apply for financial aid through the PLUS/Switcher Program and they may also choose to solicit friends and family members to make donations on their behalf through our Recommended Funds program.

Families may solicit the Recommended Fund amounts below for the respective programs.

By law, you may only donate to PLUS/Switcher once you have fulfilled your Original Individual donation for that tax year.

Corporate Low Income

Any child enrolled full time, grades K-12 OR a preschool student with an Arizona public school MET or IEP attending an Arizona private school, who meets the state-mandated income cap and who also meets at least one of the criteria listed below is eligible for the Corporate Low Income program.

• Entering kindergarten
• Received a previous Low-Income Corporate, “PLUS”/Switcher or Individual scholarship in a previous academic year and continued to attend a qualified private school
• Transferring from:
  • An Arizona public or charter school with at least 90 days of attendance in the previous academic year or one full semester in the same year; or
  • Transferring from an Arizona homeschool program; or
  • Transferring from the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program in the previous academic semester; or
  • A public, private or homeschool program from out of state or out of country.
• Disabled preschooler enrolled in a qualified disabled preschool
• Dependent of active duty military stationed in Arizona on orders

Income cap requirements

Corporate Disabled/Displaced

A child who meets at least one of the criteria listed below is eligible for the Corporate Disabled/Displaced program

• Preschool student enrolled full-time in a qualified preschool program with an Arizona public school IEP or MET. The IEP or MET do not have to be current.
• Student enrolled full time, grades K-12, with an Arizona public school IEP, MET or 504 Plan. The IEP, MET or 504 Plan do not have to be current.
• Student enrolled full time, grades K-12 that have ever been placed in the Arizona foster care system. Will be verified by the Arizona Department of Child Safety.

Awarding Process and Timelines

Applications are typically released at the end of January for the following school year.

All families wishing to apply for an award, either financial aid or Recommended Funds, must submit an application to IBE.

There is no deadline in which applications for Recommended Funds must be submitted; however, Recommended Funds will not be released to the school without a current application on file.  Recommended Funds are offered to all schools the 1st-15th of each month except June.

Beginning July 1st, Financial Aid awards will be assessed monthly until funds are depleted.