Listen to this guide as a 6-minute podcast episode, or read on.
If your child isn't in the Education Freedom Account program yet, the next chance is the 2027-28 application cycle. The state hasn't announced its dates. But the way Arkansas reviewed applications this year tells Little Rock families a lot about how to prepare, and most of the preparation can happen this fall.
The most important thing to understand: the EFA is open to every eligible Arkansas student, but applications are not processed strictly first come, first served. They are sorted by priority group and by review window.
How the 2026-27 cycle worked
For 2026-27, the Arkansas Department of Education took applications and renewals from March 9 to June 1, 2026. The account was worth up to $7,208 per student, up from $6,864 the year before. More than 44,000 students used an account in 2025-26, with nearly 170 private schools and more than 2,500 approved vendors to choose from.
New students applied through the state's FACTS portal at arkansasefa.com. Returning students renewed inside ClassWallet, the system that holds the account. Every participating student has to apply or renew every year.
The four review windows
The state split the spring into four windows and reviewed applications in priority order within each one:
- Window A: March 9 to March 29
- Window B: March 30 to April 19
- Window C: April 20 to May 1
- Window D: May 2 to June 1
The practical lesson is simple. Applying in the first window doesn't jump you ahead of a higher-priority group, but applying late can leave you waiting while earlier windows are worked. If the 2027-28 cycle follows the same shape, aim for the first window.
The six priority groups
Within each window, the state reviewed applications in this order:
- Returning EFA students
- Students with specialized needs: students with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, students in foster care, and former Succeed Scholarship recipients
- Students coming from a public school rated D or F
- Students whose parent or guardian serves in the military, in law enforcement, or as a first responder
- First-time kindergarten students
- All other eligible Arkansas students
Several of these groups are especially relevant in Central Arkansas. Pulaski County is home to Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville, so many local families fall in the military group. Police officers, sheriff's deputies, firefighters and paramedics across Little Rock, North Little Rock, Benton and Bryant may qualify for the same group. If you're in it, have proof ready.
If your child attends a public school now, look up that school's letter grade before you apply. A D or F rating moves the application up. If your child has a disability, our special-needs page lists the Little Rock schools that serve students with dyslexia, autism and other learning differences.
Documents to gather this fall
The 2025-26 family handbook lists two kinds of proof for new applicants:
- Proof of the student's age, such as a birth certificate, passport, immunization record or state ID.
- Proof of Arkansas residency, such as a recent utility bill, a lease, or an Arkansas driver's license.
Scan them now and keep them in one folder. If you plan to claim a priority group, gather that proof too. Check the state's EFA page when the next cycle opens for the exact documents it will accept.
Kindergarten in 2027-28
First-time kindergartners have their own priority group. To use the account for kindergarten, a child must be 5 by August 1. If your child is in a church or private pre-K now, the spring before kindergarten is when you apply. Pre-K itself isn't covered.
Already in the program? Don't miss the renewal
Returning students sit at the top of the priority list, but only if they renew. Renewals happen in ClassWallet each spring. Put a reminder on your calendar for early March. And if something changes during the year, such as a move out of state or full-time enrollment in a public school, the handbook says to notify the state within 5 days.
Use the fall to choose the school
The application asks for a student, not a school, but the school decides how far the account goes. Tuition above the account is the family's to pay. Fall is open-house season. Visit, ask how the school bills ClassWallet, and ask what tuition and fees will be after the account. Our directory of Central Arkansas private schools shows which schools took EFA students in 2024-25 and how many. Our EFA guide covers what the account pays for. If you're weighing homeschooling, see our homeschool page.
A fall checklist
- Decide between private school, homeschool, or a mix.
- Scan proof of age and proof of residency.
- Gather proof for any priority group: military orders, an agency ID or letter, disability documentation.
- Check your current public school's letter grade.
- Tour two or three schools and ask how they bill ClassWallet.
- Set a reminder for early March to watch for the 2027-28 window.
Want help mapping your family's options before the window opens? Start a funding check and a School Funding Advisor will walk through it with you.
Sources
- Arkansas DESE: Education Freedom Accounts (application windows and funding priority)
- Arkansas EFA Family Handbook 2025-26
- Arkansas Advocate: Arkansas education department accepting applications for voucher program's fourth year
- Arkansas DESE press release: EFA year four applications open (March 10, 2026)
Episode transcript
Marcus: Welcome to the Little Rock Edu Funding podcast. I'm Marcus.
Dana: And I'm Dana. Today: how to get your child into Arkansas's Education Freedom Account for the 2027-28 school year, and what you can do this fall to be ready.
Marcus: The state hasn't announced next year's dates yet, right?
Dana: Not yet. But how the state handled applications this year tells Little Rock families a lot. And here's the big one. The EFA is open to every eligible Arkansas student, but applications are not processed strictly first come, first served.
Marcus: So it's not a race to hit submit at midnight.
Dana: Not exactly. Applications get sorted two ways: by review window, and by priority group.
Marcus: Let's back up. What did this year look like?
Dana: For 2026-27, the Arkansas Department of Education took applications and renewals from March 9 to June 1. The account was worth up to seven thousand, two hundred eight dollars per student, up from six thousand, eight hundred sixty-four the year before.
Marcus: And how many families are using it?
Dana: More than 44,000 students used an account in 2025-26, with nearly 170 private schools and more than 2,500 approved vendors to choose from.
Marcus: How do people actually apply?
Dana: New students apply through the state's FACTS portal at arkansas E F A dot com. Families already in the program renew inside ClassWallet, which is the system that holds the account. And everyone has to apply or renew every single year.
Marcus: Okay. Tell me about these review windows.
Dana: This year, the state split the spring into four windows. Window A ran March 9 to March 29. Window B, March 30 to April 19. Window C, April 20 to May 1. And Window D, May 2 to June 1.
Marcus: So does applying in Window A put me at the front of the line?
Dana: Not ahead of a higher priority group. But applying late can leave you waiting while the earlier windows get worked. So if next year looks the same, aim for the first window.
Marcus: And the priority groups. How many are there?
Dana: Six, in this order. First, returning EFA students. Second, students with specialized needs: students with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, kids in foster care, and former Succeed Scholarship recipients.
Marcus: Third?
Dana: Students coming from a public school rated D or F. Fourth, students whose parent or guardian serves in the military, in law enforcement, or as a first responder. Fifth, first-time kindergartners. And sixth, all other eligible Arkansas students.
Marcus: That fourth group feels very Central Arkansas.
Dana: It really is. Pulaski County is home to Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville, so a lot of local families fall into the military group. And police officers, deputies, firefighters and paramedics across Little Rock, North Little Rock, Benton and Bryant may qualify for that same group.
Marcus: So if that's you, what should you do?
Dana: Have your proof ready before the window opens. Same with the D or F group. If your child is in a public school now, look up that school's letter grade before you apply. A D or F rating moves the application up.
Marcus: Let's talk paperwork. What do families need?
Dana: The state's family handbook lists two kinds of proof for new applicants. Proof of your child's age, like a birth certificate, passport, immunization record, or state ID. And proof of Arkansas residency, like a recent utility bill, a lease, or an Arkansas driver's license.
Marcus: Simple enough to do now.
Dana: Exactly. Scan them this fall and keep them in one folder. Add your priority group proof if you have one, like military orders, an agency ID or letter, or disability documentation. Then check the state's E F A page when the next cycle opens, for the exact documents it'll accept.
Marcus: What about families with little ones starting kindergarten?
Dana: First-time kindergartners have their own priority group. Your child has to be five by August first. So if your child is in a church or private pre-K right now, the spring before kindergarten is when you apply. Pre-K itself isn't covered.
Marcus: And for families already in the program?
Dana: Don't miss the renewal. Returning students are at the very top of the list, but only if they renew. It happens in ClassWallet each spring, so put a reminder on your calendar for early March.
Marcus: Anything else to watch during the year?
Dana: If something changes, like you move out of state, or your child enrolls full-time in a public school, the handbook says to notify the state within five days.
Marcus: Last thing. The application asks about the student, not the school. So when do families pick the school?
Dana: Now's a great time. The school decides how far the account goes, because any tuition above the account is the family's to pay. Fall is open house season. Visit, ask how the school bills ClassWallet, and ask what tuition and fees will look like after the account.
Marcus: Give us the fall checklist.
Dana: One, decide between private school, homeschool, or a mix. Two, scan proof of age and residency. Three, gather proof for any priority group. Four, check your current public school's letter grade. Five, tour two or three schools and ask how they bill ClassWallet. And six, set a reminder for early March.
Marcus: Where can families compare schools?
Dana: Little Rock Edu Funding dot com has a directory of Central Arkansas private schools, showing which ones took E F A students and how many. There's an E F A guide and a homeschool page too. And if you want help mapping your options before the window opens, start a funding check there.
Marcus: That's Little Rock Edu Funding dot com. Thanks for listening.
Dana: See you next time.