Resources for Parents 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The scholarship can only be applied to Arizona private school tuition. A check will be sent directly to the school for your student’s tuition.

  • We encourage you to apply to help alleviate some of the financial burden associated with a quality private education for your child. 

  • The basic difference between an ESA and STO is in the distribution of funds. An STO will send the funds directly to your child’s school, whereas ESA sends the funds to the parents.

  • No. Students receiving ESA funding from the Arizona Department of Education are NOT eligible to receive funding from an STO.

 

SAMPLE LETTER

Often, applicant families like to send letters or emails directly to potential donors, but just don’t know how to get started. Below is a basic Sample Letter that you might consider using as a starting point.

Dear Friends and Family,

I am very excited to be sending my (son/daughter) back to ___________ school. This is important to me because __________ school can provide the environment, high standards and personal attention that we were looking for in (his/her) education.

Although tuition is not cheap, Arizona residents are blessed with the opportunity to help students in private schools while receiving a dollar-for-dollar tax credit in return. For example, if you donate $1,000, you can deduct that amount directly off your Arizona state taxes. You will either pay less or get a larger refund when you file your return. It may be possible to get a deduction on your federal taxes as well.

The maximum amounts you can donate this year as a single person is $1,307 and $2,609 for married couples filing jointly.

Your donations are awarded in the form of scholarships to help with tuition expenses for families like ours. I am working with Students First Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to processing tax credit donations and making scholarship awards.

Would you consider making such a donation and recommending (son/daughter) as the recipient of that donation? Or you can visit their website at studentswin.org and explore how you can donate. I would be happy to talk this through with you and get a representative from Students First Foundation on the phone to answer any questions.

I appreciate your support in helping keep (son/daughter) at __________. Your donations make a difference!

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

 
 
 

MORE sample form letters to Consider

Usable throughout the year and customizable for your particular family:

Do you still have questions?

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