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Arkansas EFA and ClassWallet: A Step-by-Step Setup Guide for Parents

/ Arkansas Learns Act / By

If your family lives in Arkansas, you may have heard that the state’s Education Freedom Account (EFA) can help pay for things like tutoring. The money is real, but the steps to get it can feel confusing: an application, a separate payment account called ClassWallet, then paying vendors the right way. This guide walks through the process in order, based on the state’s own 2026-27 family handbook.

Information checked October 31, 2026. Rules, dates, and screens change, so use this as a map and confirm details with the state before you act.

What the EFA is

An EFA is a state-funded account for an eligible Arkansas student. The state deposits money into the account four times a year, and the family uses it for approved education expenses. There is no cash withdrawal; every purchase is reviewed. For 2026-27, the handbook’s example is $7,208 a year, deposited as $1,802 each quarter. The state sets aside 1.85% for ClassWallet processing fees before each deposit, so the balance you see in ClassWallet is the amount you can spend.

Who can apply

The student must be eligible for K-12 in an Arkansas public school, and the student and at least one parent or guardian must live in Arkansas. The program has no income test. The handbook also lists priority groups, such as returning students and students with an IDEA disability, that are considered within each application window.

Step 1: Apply through the state’s online portal

  1. Go to arkansasefa.com (the handbook also gives the shortcut dese.link/efa).
  2. Create or log in to a FACTS account. Use an email address you check often, because decisions and requests for documents come there.
  3. Fill out the application. One application can include more than one child. You will choose the setting you plan to use: private school, microschool, or homeschool.
  4. Upload your documents. The handbook names proof of your child’s age (such as a birth certificate or passport) and proof of Arkansas residency (such as a recent utility bill, lease, or Arkansas driver’s license).
  5. Submit and watch for a confirmation email. Review can take up to 10 business days, and longer in busy seasons. You get a decision by email and in the portal. A denial comes with a reason, and the handbook describes an appeal process.

Timing: when you can apply

For 2026-27, the application windows ran from March to June 1, 2026. The handbook says applications received after the final window “might be waitlisted or, if approved, result in a mid-year start,” meaning the account would be funded for only part of the year. The state’s FAQ says the 2027-28 application opens in March 2027. We could not confirm whether new applications are being accepted right now, so call or email School Choice AR (contact details below) before you plan around it.

Step 2: Set up ClassWallet

When your application is approved, you receive an invitation, usually by email, to activate your ClassWallet account. Add the state and ClassWallet email addresses to your safe-sender list so the message does not land in spam. Then:

  • Link each student to a setting. You connect your child to an approved private school, or to homeschool. For homeschool, the state checks that you filed your Notice of Intent to Homeschool with your district before it funds the account.
  • Accept the ClassWallet affidavit. Funds do not show in your dashboard until you do.
  • Look around your dashboard. It shows your balance and your transaction history.

Families already in the program do not reapply. They complete a yearly ClassWallet Renewal Survey, and the handbook warns that waiting until the last minute can cost you your place.

Step 3: Pay for tutoring and other services

The handbook describes four ways to use the funds. For a service such as tutoring, two matter most.

  • Payment Request (the vendor starts it). The vendor sends a request through ClassWallet. You get an email, open the request in your account, and either accept it and choose the expense category or decline it and give a reason. Then it goes to the state for review, and once approved the money goes straight to the vendor.
  • Direct Pay (you start it). Ask the vendor for an invoice that shows the vendor’s name and contact information, your child’s name, a description of the service, the dates of service, and the itemized charges and total. In ClassWallet choose the option to pay a vendor, find the vendor, upload the invoice, pick the category, and submit it for review.

The other two options are the Marketplace, where you shop participating vendors inside ClassWallet, and Reimbursement, where you pay first and get repaid. For reimbursement you link a bank account and upload an itemized receipt that includes proof of payment.

Expect a wait. Every request is reviewed. The state’s FAQ says it tries to approve requests within 25 business days, and the time depends on how many requests are waiting. Check your order status in the dashboard, and email School Choice AR if a request is marked “Hold” or “Incomplete.”

What can the money pay for?

The handbook lists tutoring and academic classes from approved education service providers, therapy services from approved providers tied to a student’s educational program, and standardized test fees. For students with special needs, it says licensed therapists and specialized educators may qualify. Expenses must be ordinary and necessary for education, and the state publishes a list of items that do not qualify. If you are not sure about a cost, ask before you buy.

The handbook does not state a limit on what a tutor or therapist may charge per hour, so ask the provider what they bill and keep your invoices.

Check that your provider is approved

The handbook tells families to verify that any vendor they plan to use is approved. You can search the state’s Provider Finder. If a provider you want is not listed, you can ask them to apply to become an approved vendor. KC Tutoring is a vendor families have used with EFA funds, but you should confirm any provider’s status yourself before you book.

A few things people miss

  • Annual testing. Students in grades K-10 must take an annual assessment in math and reading, and families report the results.
  • Roll-over. Unused money carries from quarter to quarter, and the handbook says it may carry into the next year up to a limit the state sets. The limit is not stated in the handbook.
  • Leaving the program. If your child withdraws mid-year, later quarterly deposits stop.

Where to get help

Related guides

Questions about tutoring and EFA funds?

KC Tutoring is locally owned and operated, offering dyslexia and dysgraphia tutoring for families across the River Valley. If you are planning how to use EFA funds for tutoring and have questions, send us a request and we will get back to you.

This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. EFA rules, dates, and amounts are set by the Arkansas Department of Education and can change. Confirm current details with School Choice AR before you apply or spend.