Education (Student Financial Aid)

introduced · Arizona · Senate Feb 9, 2026

SB 1768: foster care; scholarship; tribal members

SB 1768 creates a tuition waiver scholarship program for Arizona students who were in foster care or adopted from foster care after age 14. It directly affects eligible foster youth (including those who are tribal members or children of tribal members) aged 14-22 who meet residency, citizenship, asset, and enrollment requirements. Key provisions include waiving tuition and mandatory fees at public universities and community colleges, requiring 30 hours of annual volunteer service after the first year, and excluding Arizona's education voucher program from reducing the scholarship amount. The scholarship continues until age 23 or degree completion, provided all eligibility criteria are maintained.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates tuition waiver scholarship for foster youth, expanding higher education access and funding for eligible students aged 14-22 at public institutions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education School Choice Student Financial Aid

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introduced · Arizona · Senate Feb 9, 2026

SB 1702: qualified schools; audits; reporting requirements

SB 1702 establishes Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts to provide education funding for K-12 students. Parents must agree to use account funds only for specific eligible expenses like tuition at qualified schools, textbooks, educational therapies for students with certain needs, tutoring, online programs, and approved educational technology. The bill restricts using scholarship funds concurrently with school tuition organization scholarships and requires students to withdraw from public schools before enrollment. It also adds reporting requirements for independent evaluation teams reviewing eligibility for students nearing age 22. This policy directly affects Arizona families using these scholarship accounts and sets clear spending rules for the state-funded program.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates new state appropriation for education scholarships (voucher program), directly increasing government spending on education through fiscal management.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates scholarship accounts funding K-12 education options, expanding access and providing direct funding for eligible educational expenses.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education School Choice Student Financial Aid

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introduced · Arizona · House Jun 13, 2026

HB 4132: ESAs; expenditures; enrollment; limitations.

Arizona's HB 4132 expands the state's Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program to allow more students to access education funds. It adds income requirements ($200,000 annual threshold, adjusted for inflation after 2027) for families seeking eligibility, while also allowing students who previously attended public school to transfer to an ESA. Funds can cover tuition at participating schools, textbooks, educational therapies, tutoring (capped at $2,000 yearly), and approved online programs. The bill explicitly restricts using ESA funds for school tuition organizations concurrently and requires parents to sign agreements detailing how funds must be spent.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill expands state-funded ESA program using public expenditures for education, directly allocating state budget resources to private school options.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands ESA program for broader educational access, funding options, and allows public school transfers, advancing student choice and program reach.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education School Choice Student Financial Aid

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introduced · Arizona · Senate Feb 9, 2026

SB 1726: STOs; scholarship reporting; identification numbers

SB 1726 requires certified school tuition organizations (STOs) in Arizona to report detailed student data to the Department of Education annually. It creates a student identifier system to track scholarship recipients and mandates STOs to submit specific information, including each student's family income level (categorized by federal lunch program thresholds), the amount of scholarship received, and the school attended. The bill also requires STOs to report the number and dollar amounts of scholarships awarded to students in different income brackets, broken down by school. The Department of Education must then post this aggregated data publicly on its website by March 31 each year. This bill directly affects STOs, students receiving scholarships, and the Department of Education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires STOs to track scholarship recipients' income levels and school attendance, ensuring equitable access for low-income students per federal lunch program thresholds.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education School Choice Student Financial Aid

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introduced · Arizona · House Feb 18, 2026

HB 4037: individual income tax; credit; education

HB 4037 creates a new refundable education tax credit for Arizona taxpayers with qualifying children. The credit (up to 80% of the state's base support level) applies to children not enrolled in public school or scholarship programs for more than 50% of instructional days. Taxpayers can claim this credit starting tax year 2026, with excess credit paid as a refund. The bill also modifies income tax filing procedures to streamline forms for eligible taxpayers and requires electronic filing for tax preparers handling over 10 returns annually.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates refundable education tax credit reducing tax liability for eligible families, aligning with tax relief indicators for middle/lower income.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates refundable tax credit for non-public education expenses, expanding financial access to educational options beyond public schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Tax Credits School Choice Student Financial Aid

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introduced · Arizona · Senate Feb 9, 2026

SB 1692: ESAs; tutors; safety; rules

SB 1692 clarifies eligibility requirements for Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program, which provides state-funded tuition assistance for students attending private schools. It directly affects students with disabilities (per IDEA or state disability definitions), children from schools rated "D" or "F," military-connected children, foster youth, and those from low-income households eligible for free lunch. Key provisions update definitions to specify how students qualify (e.g., requiring online students to log minimum instructional hours) and ensure schools receiving funds meet safety and non-discrimination standards. The bill modifies existing statutes without creating new funding, focusing on administrative clarity for the current ESA program.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationClarifies ESA eligibility, expanding state-funded private school access for vulnerable student groups including disabled students and low-income families90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice Student Financial Aid Student Health

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introduced · Arizona · Senate Feb 9, 2026

SB 1699: empowerment scholarship accounts; distribution; intervals

SB 1699 establishes Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (AESA) to provide public funds for K-12 education outside public schools. It directly affects parents of qualifying students who choose to withdraw from public school districts or charter schools and use AESA funds. The bill specifies that account monies can cover tuition at qualified schools, textbooks, educational therapies (for students meeting specific disability criteria), tutoring, approved curricula, and other education-related expenses like transportation and assistive technology. Parents must agree not to enroll students in public schools, accept concurrent private scholarships, or homeschool while using AESA funds.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates state funds via AESA for private education, increasing budget expenditure for education choice programs.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates public funding for private school options, expanding educational access beyond public schools through scholarship accounts.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education School Choice Student Financial Aid

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introduced · Arizona · House Jan 26, 2026

HB 2618: veterans; scholarship waivers; counseling; benefits

HB 2618 provides tuition waivers at Arizona public universities and community colleges for children or spouses of Arizona Gold Star Military Medal recipients who were killed or died from injuries in the line of duty while stationed in Arizona, limited to those under age 26. It also mandates trauma counseling for family members of deceased service members and Gold Star recipients for at least 10 years. The bill establishes a Fallen Guard Family Relief Fund to offer benefits like burial supplements, emergency aid, tuition reimbursements, and mental health services to immediate family members of Gold Star recipients. The Department of Veterans' Services will verify eligibility and coordinate these benefits under amended statutes.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides tuition waivers at Arizona public universities for military families, expanding access to higher education through financial aid.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates 10-year trauma counseling for military families, directly supporting mental health services as a core component of the bill.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransProvides tuition waivers, trauma counseling, and burial benefits for Gold Star families - directly expands veteran family support through new funding and services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid Mental Health Veteran Education Veteran Mental Health

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passed · Arizona · House Feb 26, 2026

HB 2499: appropriation; ESA administration

HB 2499 appropriates $2.6 million and 12 full-time equivalent positions from Arizona's general fund for fiscal year 2026-2027 to the Department of Education. This funding specifically supports the administration of the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program, which provides state-funded scholarships to students. The bill designates this as ongoing funding intended for future years, ensuring continued operational support for the program. The measure directly affects the Department of Education (as the administrator) and the ESA program's beneficiaries.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $2.6M from state general fund to fund ESA program administration, directly supporting state education funding through budget allocation.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationFunds ESA program administration, providing state scholarships for student educational choice and access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations State Budget School Choice Student Financial Aid

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introduced · Arizona · House Jan 20, 2026

HB 2360: ESAs; enrollment; required disclosures; prohibition

HB 2360 protects nonpublic schools that accept Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) funds by preventing them from being forced to change their religious, educational, or admissions policies. It prohibits these schools from requiring parents to disclose whether a student uses an ESA or the amount in their ESA account as a condition for enrollment. The bill also states that schools accepting ESA funds are not considered government agents and shifts the burden of proof to the state if a legal challenge arises over the law's application. This directly affects nonpublic schools participating in Arizona's ESA program and ensures parental privacy regarding scholarship usage.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProtects nonpublic school enrollment policies for ESA recipients, expanding educational access without restricting school autonomy or requiring disclosure of ESA usage.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice Student Financial Aid

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