You must complete an application beginning May 1 of each school year to be eligible for our program. The application will be reviewed and weighted to determine the potential amount of assistance you may be eligible to receive. Once this process is complete, you will receive a email notice from APESF providing the results of your application and any additional requirements needed to be considered to receive an award. This is NOT a notice of an award.  Awards a subject to available funding, enrollment status, scholarship committee approval and your outstanding tuition balance. If an award is made, you will receive a notice by email when the funds are sent to the school.

The corporation can recommend that their contribution be allocated to students attending a particular school(s).  Corporations cannot recommend a specific student(s).  Scholarships from corporate donations are awarded to eligible students in qualified private schools that meet the student qualification criteria under the law.

Under the corporate tuition tax credit law there is an annually adjusted  state-wide cap on the aggregate total that all corporations can contribute.  The current 2012/2013 cap is $29.859 Million.  The law also requires recipient students to meet certain income guidelines in order to receive a scholarship and the scholarship cannot exceed certain amounts prescribed by law.

A corporation can claim the full amount of the donation for their state taxes owed, up to the maximum amounts allowed by law or the actual tax owed, whichever is less.  All corporate donations must first be pre-approved by the Department of Revenue, in writing, and the approved corporate tax credit donation must be made within 20 days of the written approval by the ADOR.  This process is to insure that the corporation is qualified to make the donation and that the donation will not cause the state-wide cap to be exceeded.

Any “C” corporation that pays Arizona corporate state income tax is eligible to take the credit.  LLC’s and most subchapter S corporations do not qualify. Please consult your tax advisor for more information.

No.  Reciprocity or “swapping” of any type is strictly prohibited (A.R.S. 43-1603 (C). When two or more individuals exchange recommendations when making their tax credit contributions, it violates both federal and state tax laws.  If reciprocity/swapping is suspected, the donor will be notified and their recommendation will not be considered.

Yes. You may recommend anyone who is not your legal dependent.  A recommendation is NOT a designation therefore all scholarship awards are subject to the absolute discretion of APESF.

In order to claim the credit on your tax return, you must fill out Form 301 and 323 for the Original Credit and Form 348 for the new Overflow/PLUS Credit.

We are a federally tax exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization.  Your tax credit may be eligible for a federal deduction.  You should consult your tax adviser for specific tax advice concerning deductibility for you. More information can be found at www.irs.gov.

Yes. The $400 donation is made directly to the public school of your choice and is strongly encouraged if your total tax liability equals or exceeds the total credit of both donations.  The maximum tax credits available by law for both programs do adjust annually.  This should be considered BEFORE you make your donation each year to take full advantage of the allowable credits for both the private and public school programs.

The law requires at least 90% of each tax credit contribution be allocated toward tuition scholarships for students attending qualified K-12 private schools in Arizona.

Donors who contribute online will automatically receive an email receipt and may also request a receipt be mailed to them. Donors who contribute by mail with a check or credit card will have the option on the donor form to receive it by mail, email or both.

Yes.  You may receive a credit for the full amount of the contribution, up to the amount allowed by law or the actual tax you owe, whichever is less.  Any excess can be carried forward and used to offset state income taxes for up to five (5) years. The donation deadline of April 15 also allows a taxpayer to donate and elect to claim the credit in either the previous tax year or the current year in which the donation was made.  Always consult a tax advisor with questions regarding your personal taxes.

A tax credit contribution to APESF directly reduces the amount of taxes you owe to the state of Arizona, which you would have to pay anyway. By taking the credit, you are in effect, re-directing your tax dollars to benefit worthy students in Arizona private schools.

A tax credit lowers your tax bill dollar-for-dollar. A deduction decreases your taxable income, so the value deducted depends on your tax bracket. If you are in the 25% bracket, a $1,000 deduction lowers your tax bill by $250. But a $1,000 credit lowers your bill by the full $1,000, no matter what tax bracket you are in.

You must complete an application beginning May 1 of each school year to be eligible for our program. The application will be reviewed and weighted to determine the potential amount of assistance you may be eligible to receive. Once this process is complete, you will receive a email notice from APESF providing the results of your application and any additional requirements to receive an award. This is NOT a notice of an award. Awards are subject to available funding, enrollment status, committee approval and verification of your outstanding tuition balance. If an award is made, you will receive a notice by email when the funds are sent to the school.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Donors are not prohibited from recommending that student(s) or students from a particular school be considered for a scholarship.

However, recent amendments to the Arizona Tuition Tax Credit law require all School Tuition Organizations (STOs) to adhere to the following : 1.)  “A School Tuition Organization CANNOT award, restrict or reserve scholarships solely on the basis of a donor’s recommendation”  2.) “A taxpayer may not claim a tax credit if the taxpayer agrees to swap donations with another taxpayer to benefit either taxpayer’s own dependent”  3.) “Arizona Statute prohibits the recommendation of the donor’s own dependent(s) as a potential scholarship recipient”

A donor’s recommendation IS NOT a designation.  APESF reserves the right to both consider the recommendations of its donors and retain absolute discretion on all final awards made to any students and/or private schools.

Once you have received notice of your processed scholarship application, your goal should be to spread the word about the advantages of the tax credit program to your friends, family and surrounding community. APESF relies solely on the financial support of individuals to award scholarships so it’s very important that we work together to raise funding to help you meet your goal. You should talk to individuals that support your family and your choice of private education, who want to make an impact and be part of the school choice movement in Arizona. They may also recommend your child to receive a scholarship when making their contribution so that you may receive the benefit! Here are some examples of the types of individuals you could target:

> Grandparents / Other Family Members
> Neighbors
> Co-Workers
> Friends
> Church Members / Small Group
> Service Providers (i.e. Hairdresser, CPA/Financial Advisor, Landscaper, Housecleaner, Nanny, etc.)

APESF funds student scholarship awards on a monthly basis.  Most awards are paid  for the full amount of the approved student scholarship – the total award is not broken down into monthly distributions.  Scholarship awards are reviewed and approved on a monthly basis by the Scholarship Committee on or before the last week of each month.  Scholarship distributions are sent to the private school(s) within seven (7) business days from final approval by the Scholarship Committee.

Yes. A recommendation by a donor does not guarantee that child will be awarded a scholarship. You must fill out an application each year to be considered for a tuition scholarship for your child.

Yes. You need to complete an application for each upcoming school year to be eligible for the program.  New applications are accepted beginning May 1 of each year.

No. The age of the applicant is appropriately considered during the award process.

It is currently NOT required, however applications are randomly audited and you may be asked to provide additional documentation to support your application. We suggest that you include any documents that can support your request for assistance. This information is only available to our scholarship coordinator and approval committee.