Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Monday that Education Freedom Accounts (EFA) are now available to all families in the state for the 2025-2026 school year, marking the first time in history that universal education freedom has been accessible to every child in Arkansas.
The EFA program, created by the LEARNS Act in 2023, provides funding to help students attend the school of their choice, whether it be private, public, parochial, or homeschool.
The governor highlighted the program’s success over the past two years, with over 14,000 students benefiting in the 2024-2025 school year. The state anticipates an even larger participation for the upcoming year as the program becomes available to all students in Arkansas.
Arkansas Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva said the EFA program was designed to meet the diverse needs of students, noting that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work for every family. In the 2023-2024 school year, the program assisted 5,548 students across 97 schools. By the 2024-2025 school year, participation grew to 14,297 students across 128 schools.
A recent survey revealed that 72% of Arkansas parents support universal education freedom, further indicating widespread backing for the program.
To be eligible for an EFA, students must be residents of Arkansas and eligible to enroll in a public school. Families can apply at through the official website.
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