Arkansas LEARNS Act

Pulaski Academy has been approved by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) to receive funds from the LEARNS Act/Education Freedom Account (EFA) program. This program provides a pathway through which public funds will be directed for eligible students to private/independent school tuition.

Important Dates 

Beginning March 9, 2026, the EFA portal will open for participation for renewing and first-time applicant students. Families must apply or renew each year for every participating student. The application and renewal period for the 2026-2027 school year is from March 9 to June 1. Please visit the ADE website below. 

What does this mean for your student? 

The EFA program enables families with eligible students to cover private school educational expenses with public funds. The LEARNS Act/EFA provides each eligible student with funding for independent/ private school tuition up to $7,208 for the 2026-2027 school year.

How do you know if your student is eligible? 

All Kindergarten to 12th-grade students are eligible as long as they have at least one parent who is a resident of Arkansas. Kindergarteners must be five years old before August 1. 

Complete an Application 

To determine student eligibility for EFA funds, please complete an application with the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) as soon as possible. 

When you apply to this program for the first time, please be advised that the state will require the following documentation to complete the application:

• Documentation to verify the student’s date of birth. For the date of birth, a birth certificate or other government document (passport, Medicaid card, shot record) or a report card or other official document from your school that includes the DOB.
• Documentation to verify Arkansas residency. For Arkansas residency, an Arkansas driver’s license or another government document (voter registration, tax statement), a recent utility bill, a mortgage statement, a lease agreement, etc., to verify an Arkansas address.

• Impact or influence PA’s mission, independence, operations, curriculum, class size or school enrollment, or assessments/standardized tests, including our internal procedure for determining academic accommodations; or, 
• Change our admissions criteria for acceptance to the school.

Moreover, the PA Board of Trustees and administration will review participation in this program annually.

If you would like to learn more about the Education Freedom Accounts (EFA) and complete the application, you may visit the state website below. 

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