Every year, thousands of families move to Northwest Arkansas for a job in Bentonville, a position at the university, or a fresh start in one of the region's fast-growing towns. Many of them want a private or faith-based school, and many have heard that Arkansas will now pay toward it. What they often don't hear is that the Education Freedom Account runs on a calendar, and a mid-year move can land you on the wrong side of it. Here's how to plan.
How the EFA calendar works
Arkansas has offered the account to every K-12 student eligible for public school since 2025-26. At least one parent must be an Arkansas resident. The 2026-27 award is $7,208 per student, or $8,011 for students who came from the former Succeed Scholarship, paid into ClassWallet in four quarterly deposits.
New students apply through the state's FACTS portal at arkansasefa.com during a spring window. For 2026-27 it ran March 9 to June 1, 2026. Returning families renew inside ClassWallet. The state hasn't announced 2027-28 dates yet. When it reviews applications, it works through priority groups, starting with returning students and students with specialized needs.
Scenario 1: you're moving before next fall
This is the easiest case. If you know by early spring that you'll be living in Arkansas when school starts, you can plan for an EFA from day one.
- Winter: Tour schools, ideally on a house-hunting trip. NWA's popular schools fill early, especially in kindergarten and the lower grades.
- Spring: Apply to schools, and watch for the state's EFA window. The residency requirement matters, so ask the EFA office how it applies to a family still in the middle of a move.
- Summer: Once you're approved, finish enrollment and make sure the school is set up to invoice ClassWallet.
Scenario 2: you're arriving mid-year
If you move in October or January, the spring window has already closed. Contact the state EFA office about your situation. Don't assume there's no path, but plan to cover at least part of the year another way.
Ways families bridge the gap:
- School-based aid. Ask the school about need-based aid and any mid-year or relocation assistance.
- Employer benefits. Some relocation packages include education support. It's worth asking HR.
- A homeschool or online semester. Some families keep their child in an online program until the next school year, then move to a campus with an account in hand.
- Scholarships. From January 2027, a new federal tax credit lets donors fund K-12 scholarships through approved scholarship-granting organizations, and Arkansas has opted in. Expect new scholarship money over the next few years.
Choosing where to live
Northwest Arkansas is one region, but private schools aren't spread evenly across it. The larger campuses with EFA families are in Rogers (Providence Classical, St. Vincent de Paul, First Academy), Centerton (Life Way Christian), Springdale (Shiloh Christian) and Fayetteville (St. Joseph, The New School, Fayetteville Christian, Anthem Classical). Bentonville has Thaden School, Bentonville Christian Academy and several smaller programs. Siloam Springs and Gentry have their own options.
Commutes along I-49 are manageable, but they add up. If you're choosing a neighborhood and a school at the same time, map both.
What the state's data can tell a newcomer
If you don't know the local schools, the state's annual EFA report is a shortcut. It shows how many students at each school use an account, how many came back the next year, and how EFA students tested. A few NWA highlights from 2024-25:
- Shiloh Christian School had 488 EFA students, the most in the region, and kept 94% at the school.
- St. Vincent de Paul kept 93% of its EFA students and averaged around the 70th percentile.
- Thaden School's EFA students averaged the 78th percentile in math and the 82nd in reading.
A relocation checklist
- Shortlist three to five schools, and ask each about openings in your child's grade.
- Ask each school whether it invoices ClassWallet directly or expects you to pay and be reimbursed.
- Call the state EFA office about your timing and residency.
- Line up school aid or another bridge for any gap.
- If you have a child with an IEP, bring the paperwork. It may affect priority and services.
Coming from another school-choice state
Many families moving to NWA come from states with their own education savings accounts or voucher programs, such as Texas, Florida, Arizona or Iowa. Those accounts don't transfer. Each state's program is separate, with its own eligibility rules, amounts and payment platform. Close out or pause your old account according to that state's rules, and start fresh with Arkansas's application. If you have unused money in another state's account, check that program's rules on what happens to it when you move.
Our Northwest Arkansas school directory lists every school with its location and EFA figures. If you'd like an advisor to map your timeline, start a funding check.