How are Recipients Selected?
At Students First Foundation, we exist to give parents educational choice. Through the tax credit program, we seek to make private education affordable for families of all kinds. Per Arizona law, scholarships can only be awarded to children in grades K-12, attending qualified Arizona private schools. Students First Foundation does not (and legally cannot) award, designate or reserve a scholarship solely on the recommendation of any person contributing money to the organization.
Future scholarships are not based on previous scholarship awards. Awards are based on student achievement and merit, financial review, and scholarship funds available from Students First Foundation at the time of the award.
Please review our scholarship opportunities:
Individual Original ScholarshipS:
All children attending a qualified Arizona private school can apply. Family income is considered but is not a limiting factor of this scholarship.
Individual Overflow Scholarships:
Students who qualify for Individual Scholarships may also qualify for Overflow Scholarships. If the student is a Switcher, a Kindergartener, a military dependent, or has received a Corporate or Overflow Scholarship in a previous year, students are asked to provide verification when filling out the scholarship application.
Disabled/Displaced Scholarships:
Students who qualify for Disabled Scholarships are students who are identified as having a disability under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act or by a school district, must provide a copy of their IEP, 504 Plan, or MET issued by an Arizona public school. This document does not have to be current in order to qualify.
Students who qualify for Displaced Scholarships are students who are (or have been) placed in foster care at any time before the student graduates high school.
Corporate Scholarships:
At Students First Foundation, we primarily provide Corporate “Low-Income” Scholarships. To qualify, families must fall under one of the following categories:
Switchers: Students who have switched from an Arizona public or charter school after having attended the public school for at least 90 days (or one full semester) in the prior school year.
Military: Students who are the dependents of a member of the US Armed Forces, stationed in Arizona pursuant to military orders.
Kindergartners: All Kindergarten students entering into an Arizona private school qualify. Pre-K students with a disability also qualify with an IEP or 504 Plan.
Previous Scholarship: Students who have previously received a scholarship (in a prior year) from any of the scholarship programs (Corporate, Individual and/or Overflow) and has continued on in the private school ever since the receipt of the award.
While all Corporate Low-Income recipients still must meet the mandated income restrictions as of July 2021, the Arizona law now allows the following students to meet the Switcher and the Corporate Low-Income eligibility portion:
Students who have home-schooled directly prior to attending an Arizona private school
Students who have canceled their ESA accounts
Students who moved to Arizona from out of state before enrolling in a qualified private school.
These students will be immediately eligible for Switcher and Corporate Low-Income scholarships if they meet the required income guidelines.
