Understanding the Arkansas Education Freedom Account (EFA) for Homeschool Families

Learn who qualifies, how much funding students receive, and how homeschool families can use Arkansas EFA funds.

What Is the Arkansas Education Freedom Account Program?

The Arkansas Education Freedom Account Program is a school-choice program that provides eligible students with state funding for approved educational expenses outside the traditional public school system. The program was created through the Arkansas LEARNS Act of 2023 and has expanded since its initial launch.

Importantly for homeschooling families, Arkansas rules expressly include participating students enrolled in a home school as well as students enrolled in participating private schools. Qualifying expenses can include testing, instructional materials, instructional services, tutoring, supplies, equipment, and other approved education expenses.

The Arkansas Department of Education describes the EFA program as a school-choice initiative that empowers parents by providing funding for students in private or home school.

For homeschool parents, that means an Arkansas EFA can help fund some of the different resources families use to build their student's education at home—from core curriculum and online learning to supplemental instruction and testing.

Who Qualifies for Arkansas EFA Funding?

Arkansas has expanded access to the Education Freedom Account program since its launch. Families must submit an application for each student they want to participate, and participation must be renewed annually.

For the 2026–27 school year, Arkansas's EFA application and renewal period ran from March 9 through June 1, 2026. The state says applications submitted after June 29 may be considered later depending on available funding and program guidelines, but submission does not guarantee review or processing.

Homeschool students can participate in the program when they meet Arkansas's eligibility and program requirements. State EFA rules specifically recognize participating students enrolled in a home school under Arkansas law.

Families should also remember that EFA participation and homeschool registration requirements are separate. Parents choosing to homeschool should follow the Arkansas Department of Education's current homeschool requirements in addition to the EFA application process.

How Much Arkansas EFA Funding Do Homeschool Students Receive?

For the 2026–27 school year, Arkansas has established two EFA funding levels:

These amounts represent the net funding available to the student after transaction fees, according to the Arkansas Department of Education.

Arkansas currently lists four funding disbursements for the 2026–27 school year:

• August 20, 2026
• October 29, 2026
• February 4, 2027
• April 8, 2027

Because funding is associated with the participating student, families with multiple eligible homeschool students apply for each participating child rather than receiving one general household EFA.

How Homeschool Families Can Use Arkansas EFA Funds

Arkansas homeschool families can use EFA funding toward a broad range of approved educational expenses. This gives parents flexibility to combine curriculum, instructional resources, services, and other tools that fit their student's homeschool learning plan.

For 2026–27, the Arkansas Department of Education identifies eligible expenses including:

• Curriculum
• Instructional materials
• Testing
• Tutoring services
• Supplemental supplies
• Certain technology devices
• Transportation
• Tuition and fees
• Fees for college courses
• Other qualifying educational services

Arkansas's formal EFA rules similarly recognize expenses such as testing costs, instructional materials, instructional services, tutoring, supplies, and equipment for participating students.

This can be especially useful for homeschool families because a student's education doesn't necessarily come from one provider. A family might use one resource for math, another for science, online instruction for an AP® subject, tutoring where additional help is needed, and separate resources for SAT® or ACT® preparation.

However, an item being educational does not automatically mean it qualifies for EFA funding. Families should verify that the expense and purchasing method meet current Arkansas EFA requirements before placing an order.

How Do Homeschool Families Purchase With Arkansas EFA Funds?

Arkansas uses ClassWallet to help participating families manage and spend their Education Freedom Account funds.

Families can use ClassWallet for approved transactions, including eligible reimbursements and payments to schools or vendors. Arkansas currently instructs families seeking reimbursement to submit their request and proof of purchase through the ClassWallet portal.

Arkansas has also introduced a more streamlined linked-provider workflow for certain providers. Instead of downloading an invoice, uploading it into ClassWallet, and waiting for the vendor payment to be processed, the family can first connect with the participating provider through ClassWallet.

For UWorld, this is the Link & Approve purchasing method. UWorld's current Arkansas instructions direct parents to link with UWorld in ClassWallet, submit their desired order to UWorld, and then approve the resulting purchase request through ClassWallet.

That makes the Arkansas process different from several other states where UWorld families currently use a traditional Direct Pay invoice.

How to Purchase UWorld With Arkansas EFA Funds

Arkansas families use UWorld's ClassWallet Link & Approve process:

1. Log into ClassWallet:
   Access the ClassWallet account associated with your student's Arkansas EFA.
2. Link your account to UWorld:
   Find UWorld in ClassWallet and complete the linking process.
3. Choose your UWorld products:
   Select the SAT®, ACT®, or AP® courses and resources you want to purchase.
4. Submit your UWorld order request:
   Send your requested products directly to UWorld using THIS FORM.
5. UWorld creates your purchase request:
   UWorld prepares the order and submits the corresponding payment request through the linked ClassWallet account.
6. Approve the request in ClassWallet:
   Review and approve the UWorld purchase using your student's available EFA funds.
7. UWorld fulfills your order:
   Once the appropriate approval is received, UWorld completes the order and provides access to the purchased resources.

No PDF invoice upload is required for the Arkansas Link & Approve process. UWorld's current ESA page specifically identifies Arkansas as its Link & Approval state for 2026–27.