How it Works

IBE is passionate that donors be allowed to direct their Arizona state tax dollars in support of private school education. We allow donors to donate and recommend a private school; or a student attending private school; or IBE’s Most Needed Fund. Regardless of what scholarship fund you choose to recommend, rest assured your donation will help support a child attending the school that best meets their unique needs!

Donors may contribute at any time throughout the tax year to IBE. Donations may be made in full (see below chart) or may be made in smaller increments at the donor’s discretion, depending on the donor’s Arizona state tax liability.

Two scholarship programs may contributed to by individual Arizona taxpayers: the Original Individual scholarship program and the PLUS/Switcher scholarship program.

If you are interested in learning more about tax credits available for Arizona business, please click here.

Any child enrolled in private school, grades K-12 OR a disabled preschooler with an Arizona public school IEP or MET who is at least 3 years of age qualifies for the Original Individual program. To qualify for the PLUS program a child must meet at least one of the criteria listed here:

• 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

The amounts that may be contributed are listed below:

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

After making their donation, if registered, a donor may immediately print their tax credit receipt. If not registered, a tax credit receipt will be postal mailed out no later than January 31st. For donations received after January 31^st, a Receipt will be mailed out as quickly as possible.  The donor either provides that receipt to their accountant or, if completing their own taxes, includes the donation given on their AZ form 140 when filing their Arizona state taxes.

The forms needed to claim the credit are AZ form 301 (used for any Arizona state tax credit), AZ form 323 (to claim Original donation credits) and AZ form 348 (to claim PLUS donation credits).

The donation given to IBE reduces the donor’s Arizona state tax liability by that amount, not to exceed the maximum amount allowed, listed in the donation chart above. The credit will either reduce the amount you would expect to owe the state or increase the expected refund. For examples on how the donation works, please click here.

IBE accepts debit or credit card payment over the phone or online at ibescholarships.org; check or debit/credit card through the mail or all forms of payment in office.

Want to contribute the full amount but can’t afford to give it all at once? Donors may also elect to be a monthly donor through IBE or donate through their AZ state tax withholdings. Call our office at (520) 512-5438 for more information.