2025-26 Academic Year “Full Tuition”: $13,400*

* This represents about 83% of the actual cost per student to run the IDEA School.
IDEA School works because of the additional support of individual tax credit gifts and direct charitable gifts from generous community members and local businesses!

YOU QUALIFY FOR FLEX TUITION!

The IDEA School is accessible to ALL families, regardless of income. In order to ensure 100% equity, accessibility, and inclusion, we utilize “Flex Tuition.”

100% of families qualify for Flex Tuition, as long as you complete our Flex Tuition Application below and the corresponding School Tuition Organization (STO) applications as well — or enroll in the state’s ESA Program.  No family pays the “Full Tuition” price out of pocket unless you choose to. See below to see what your expected out-of-pocket flex tuition will be, based on your household size and income.  

Your Flex Tuition level is also responsive to circumstances unique to your family’s situation that would indicate the need for greater aid from IDEA School, such as being a grandparent raising your grandchild, being a single parent, having large medical bills, etc. (See our Flex Tuition application link, below.)

Below the application is a chart showing our Flex Tuition levels for the 2025-26 school year.  Look for the column that matches your Household size, then the Flex Tuition Tier in which your Household Income falls. The final column is the range within which your monthly out-of-pocket Flex Tuition will fall.  No family whose household income is below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level (Tier 1) pays any out-of-pocket tuition, so long as you apply to the School Tuition Organizations (STOs) listed below. 

Flex Tuition Application

 To qualify for Flex Tuition,
begin by completing our simple
ONLINE FLEX TUITION APPLICATION

 If your primary income is based on Social Security, Disability or other public benefits, please submit a copy of your benefits letter(s) using the form upload field in the online application, or bring a copy in to the Front Office and deliver to our Administrative Director Gaby Vidal.

All families in Tiers 1-5 MUST apply to IBE and the Arizona Leadership Foundation, the STOs (school tuition organizations) listed below, in order to secure your Flex Tuition offer. Scholarships offered through these STOs are available to all low- and moderate-income families in Arizona (HH income limits correspond exactly with our Tier 5), so long as you apply. These scholarships are vital to how we maintain accessibility to all families, regardless of income, while also sustaining the school.

Most of our families fall within Tiers 1-5 and therefore are income-eligible to receive “Low-Income Scholarships” through these School Tuition Organizations.  Please apply to BOTH:

IBE, Applications accepted year-round

Arizona Leadership Foundation, Primary Application period open April 15th – June 15th for the coming school year. Secondary Application period anticipated in October for anyone who missed the summer deadline.

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For all households Tier 6 and above, you must enroll in Arizona’s Universal ESA program in order to secure your Flex Tuition amount. Otherwise, we will charge you the posted “Full Tuition” rate.  The Universal ESA is aid administered through the AZ Dept of Education, for which every Arizona student is eligible.

(You may not apply for both the ESA program and STO scholarships in the same school year. You must do one or the other.)

If your household income is more than the Tier 13 amount, your out-of-pocket tuition will be $6,300 (billed evenly over 10 months — Aug-May), as long as you also enroll in the Universal ESA program (approx. $7,100 this year) to cover the remainder of the Full Tuition obligation. You are of course welcome to let us know if you’d rather just pay the full $13,400 out of pocket.

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We provide all families with the information and support you need to successfully apply to our partner STOs, or to the ESA program!

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FAMILIES OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS:
Tuition may be higher than the posted “Full Tuition” to cover the entire cost of providing your student with additional staff or other supports needed at school so they can be successful in a fully integrated classroom setting. You will work with our School Director to arrive at the appropriate supports needed, and any related adjustments to tuition as needed, to ensure the school can meet your student’s individual needs in a holistic way. Arizona’s ESA Program provides additional funding for students with special needs.

Arizona’s ESA program: If your student has special needs and requires extra support, you can enroll in the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program administered by the AZ Department of Education, which offers larger scholarships for students with special needs to pay for additional supports both in and outside of school. The Dept of Education administers ESA Scholarships of varying sizes depending on the specific diagnosis and special needs of each child.

As always, we are committed to working with every family to make it work.

Tax Credits to Lower Your Tuition

For those families not enrolled in the ESA program, Tax Credit Donations from individual AZ taxpayers allow you to “raise” your out-of-pocket tuition obligation.  Friends and extended family, neighbors and colleagues — any Arizona taxpayer — may help support your child’s education with an Individual Tax Credit Donation recommended specifically to your child, through IBE (“Recommended Funds”).  Recommended Funds for your child brought in through IBE come right off your Flex Tuition bottom line! 

The taxpayer may contribute under both the “original individual” tax credit and the “plus” tax credit.

• ALL students are eligible for scholarships from the “original individual” tax credit.
• Some students are additionally eligible for scholarships from the “plus” tax credit.  Students are eligible for this additional “plus” support if they meet one of the following conditions: (1) they are enrolled in Kindergarten when they first apply; (2) they were enrolled for at least one semester (90 days) of the prior or current school year in an Arizona public school (district or charter) before transferring to the private school; (3) they have a parent/guardian who is active duty military stationed in Arizona; (4) they have received “plus”/ “overflow” aid  from a school tuition organization in a prior school year and have continued to attend a qualifying private school since; or (5)  they have received a “Corporate Low-Income Scholarship” from an STO in a prior school year and have continued to attend a qualifying private school since.
• In the cases of public school transfer or previous STO award from another STO, written verification of public school attendance or prior STO award is required.  See the PSAV Form (Public School Attendance Verification) or Previous STO Award Form available from IBE on their website. 

For friends/family who want to help you —
Donation limits:

For the 2024 tax year individual filers may donate up to $1,459 and get it back as a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on their 2024 tax return.  Married couples filing jointly may donate up to $2,900.  For more info, see our Tax Credit page.

NOTE: Regardless of the tax year for which the donor claims the Tax Credit, the funds they donate through IBE that are recommended for your child will be available to help pay your tuition bills in current and future school years. In other words, any funds not used/needed for your current Flex Tuition obligation this year automatically stay at IBE in your child’s name for future school years — accessible for tuition at qualifying schools all the way through 12th grade.

Donating to a student and to IDEA School:

Arizona Tax Credit donors may recommend that part of their donation go to a particular student at IDEA School, and part go to the IDEA School itself to fund low-income scholarships for all students in need.

If your child is not eligible for a “Plus” funding, please encourage your donors to recommend your child for their “Original” Tax Credit donation and the IDEA School for their “Plus” Tax Credit donation. 

STATE LAW: 

Per state law, a taxpayer may not support his/her own dependent with a tax credit donation. Additionally, a taxpayer may not “swap” tax credit donations with another taxpayer in order to benefit either taxpayer’s dependents.

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Policy of Non-Discrimination

The IDEA School strongly values diversity and inclusion in our student body, staff, and Board of Directors and aims, through our composition, values and practices, to reflect the diversity of the Tucson community.

The IDEA School admits students of any race, color, national original, ethnic origin, socio-economic status, religious belief, sexual orientation, gender identity, familial status and physical ability to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national original, ethnic origin, socio-economic status, religious belief, sexual orientation, gender identity, familial status or physical ability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship/financial aid policies and programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.