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Government Empowerment Scholarship (ESA)

What is the Government Program called the Empowerment Scholarship (ESA)?
 
Parents have the right to choose what’s best for their family and have their education tax dollars pay for the school that meets their child’s needs. Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) make that possible.  With the ESA program, the money that would pay for that student’s education in a neighborhood school follows that student to whichever school the parents choose for their child, including education at home.
 
This is a government contract between the family and the Arizona Department of Education and is highly regulated.  It is the responsibility of the family to read and understand all contractual obligations of the contract.  All questions need to be addressed by you to the help desk at ESA:  https://www.azed.gov/esa
Seton Finance Staff is not permitted to assist you with questions on your ESA contract or Class wallet account.
 
2024/2025 SETON ESA Policies & Procedures
IMPORTANT CHANGE FOR ESA Effective July 1, 2024 - Per the AZ Department of Education Tuition must be paid through ClassWallet—Beginning July 1, 2024, if you intend to use your student’s Empowerment Scholarship to pay for his or her tuition at a qualified preschool (for students with a disability) or K-12 school, you must upload your invoices into the ClassWallet Pay Vendor platform in order to pay your student’s tuition directly from your ESA.  If you pay for tuition out of pocket and submit your paid invoice to the ESA program for reimbursement, your paid invoice will not be reimbursed from your student’s ESA.  Click here for a copy of the June 4, 2024 letter explaining the change by the AZ Department of Ed

We look forward to assisting you with your 24/25 ESA Contract. We ask that you please use the dedicated email box for ESA Families for all communications: [email protected]
 
Parents taking ESA Funding for the 24/25 Academic Year will need to notify the Finance Department by July 15, 2024 – Parents/Guardians will need to make the decision to use either ESA or STO Funding for their student by this deadline. Seton will apply ESA Funding to annual tuition first until the balance is paid in full, before allocating these funds to activity fees, summer school, etc. Families on the ESA Contract program may not pause the family payments.  We stand ready to help each family in the Seton Community make a Catholic Education affordable but need to ensure there are no large unexpected balances due in May 2025.  As a responsible Catholic School, we are obligated to collect all fees owed to us in a timely manner to continue providing quality education. 
 
Seton does not accept excess ESA from a prior year contract but you may take direct reimbursement for any qualified expense as defined by the ADE other than tuition. (Registration fees, Textbook, Uniforms -etc) You will need to follow all compliance with your ESA Contract to take reimbursement for these other expenses for direct reimbursement and we direct you to the ESA Website for any support needed: https://www.azed.gov/esa/classwallet Please manage this carefully so as not to compromise the funds that are committed to Seton as these obligations will become the responsibility of the family if ESA funds are not properly managed. Effective July 2024 you cannot take reimbursement for any tuition paid out of pocket in the prior year or current year - this was a decision of governor Katie Hobbs.
 
Regulations using STO and/or ESA: If a student starts the school year on ESA, then the parent cancels the ESA contract during the school year, that student may receive tax credit scholarships for the remainder of the academic year after the ESA contract was cancelled. STO's will fund the student beginning the quarter following the ESA contract cancellation. Parents that withdraw their student from the ESA program will receive an email indicating their ESA account is closed.  This document must be provided to the STO to start receiving tax credit scholarships. Managing this process is the sole responsibility of the parent or guardian. Seton Finance Department must be notified within 10 business days of this decision by the family.
 
Families electing ESA Tuition Assistance Funding must acknowledge the remaining balance not covered by ESA Funds is the Family's responsibility.  Your FACTS account must remain in good standing through out the year as we collect the remaining tuition balance from your FACTS account. Taking ESA Funding strictly limits any internal funding Seton available to provide to ESA Families as regulations prevents the use of STO Funding and ESA concurrently.
 

Seton ESA Funding Policy and Procedures for Academic year 24/25:

The ESA Contract Holder must name SETON Catholic Preparatory as the Vendor in their Class Wallet account:
  1. Seton will need a copy of the fully executed Empowerment Scholarship contract from the AZ Department of Education for your student - this must have both your signature as well as that of the AZ Department of Education and it must clearly show the date the contract was executed (PDF please, no partial screenshots can be accepted)
  2. Seton Must receive this contract within 30 days of execution
  3. Please make a statement by email that you have received and understand Principal Serna’s Statement Notice Regarding Tuition Funding Program
  4. Please send verification that you have completed the setup of your Class Wallet account and certify that SETON will be named as the vendor for all payments
  5. Once these items are received and processed Seton will gladly work with you to make adjustments to your FACTS account to reflect the portion of tuition covered by ESA and the remainder that will be the family’s obligation. There is a sample below
  6. Seton will send all 4 quarter invoices to you and you will be responsible to collect funding through class wallet and name Seton as the Vendor for payment in a timely manner. Once payment is received by class wallet it will be applied to the ESA portion of tuition (not the family contribution) which will show in May 2025 as one balloon payment on Hold.  Seton will apply the net payment after the Class Wallet fee deduction to your May 2025 balance. Because Class Wallet withholds a processing fee of 2% from your direct pay to Seton, there will be small balance due in May 2025. The ESA program is HIGHLY Regulated and we must work together to meet all the requirements/regulations of the AZ Department of Education. Parents trying in good faith to help the process look to their FACTS account and are submitting unqualified invoices/documentation, Snippets and screenshots and in submitting this you may compromise your contract as well as Seton's vendor status with the AZ Department of Education.
  7. Seton reserves the right to remove a family from this process if the family is not able/willing to post their invoice(s) in a timely manner to their class wallet account to direct payment to Seton.  Seton will apply a $50 late fee for all Class Wallet payments that are one quarter in arrears.
 
 

Finance Office

Linda Surovick
Director of Finance
480.963.1900, Ext. 2072
[email protected]

 
Cindy Ostrowski
Tuition Manager
480.963.1900, Ext. 2010
[email protected]