About

The Arizona Private Education Scholarship Fund is a School Tuition Organization (STO) developed under the guidelines provided in the Arizona Private School Tuition Tax Credit Law of 1997. APESF was founded and incorporated in 1998 to provide educational scholarships to qualified students attending private K through 12 schools in the state of Arizona. APESF utilizes re-directed state tax dollars available through the Arizona Private School Tuition Tax Credit Law and general donations to fulfill its mission. Our primary objective is to provide sustainable financial support to any qualified student and family who desires to make a choice in their educational provider. In accordance with Arizona State law, APESF directs its support toward the student only, not the school. Therefore, all scholarships are awarded to the student applicant regardless of the qualified private school they have selected to attend. Our decisions to award scholarships take into careful consideration:
  • The financial need of the student/applicants
  • The individual merits of each student/applicant
  • The ongoing sustainability of the student’s private education through our awards
  • Recommendations of potential recipient students by our donors, partner schools and individuals
Members of the APESF Board of Directors have a long and rich heritage in the State of Arizona as visionaries, leaders and significant supporters of private education. APESF is committed to preserving real choices for our children’s education and the significant impact these choices make on our collective futures. The Arizona Private Education Scholarship Fund, Inc. is a tax exempt organization pursuant to federal law, Section 501 (c) (3) Federal I.D. number 86-0958161.

Frequently Asked Questions

General

Is the Arizona Private Education Scholarship Fund a legitimate school tuition organization?

Yes! APESF is certified by the Arizona Department of Revenue as a School Tuition Organization and is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization established in 1998. APESF allocates at least 90 percent of its annual revenue to educational scholarships, and makes its scholarships available to students of more than one qualified school. It is governed by a highly qualified Board of Directors who have been significant supporters of private education in Arizona for many years. Please read our Mission Statement for more information.

How is APESF different from other school tuition organizations?

In many ways, all of the Arizona STO’s should be very similar as the Arizona statute that governs this program is quite clear as to how every STO is to operate. The primary differences would be evidenced in how each STO serves its participating donors, schools and families. APESF has been consistent in providing its donors, participating schools and scholarship recipient families, with all of the benefits that the tax credit allows, with a strong commitment to personal service and the development of unique communication strategies. We are not the largest STO, but one of the most personal and emulated.

What is a qualified school?

A qualified school is a non-governmental preschool for handicapped students, or a non-governmental primary or secondary school located in Arizona. The school cannot discriminate on the basis of race, color, handicap, familial status, or national origin. The primary school begins with kindergarten and the secondary school ends with grade 12.

On average, how many private schools does APESF award scholarships to in a given year?

The Arizona Private Education Scholarship Fund awarded scholarships to an average of 50 private schools and is among the top school tuition organizations that awards scholarships to more than 25 schools in the Valley.