ClassWallet Explained: How Paying With ESA and EFA Funds Works

By Laura Lurns · Reviewed by Philip Weaver · Last reviewed 2026-10-07

Learning Success is an approved vendor in the ClassWallet marketplaces for Arizona, Arkansas and Indiana. This page explains the rules, whichever provider you choose.

What ClassWallet is

Arizona's program is the Empowerment Scholarship Account, or ESA. The Arizona Department of Education runs it.

Arkansas's program is the Education Freedom Account, or EFA. Some parents call it an ESA too. The Arkansas Department of Education runs it.

Both programs use ClassWallet. ClassWallet is the online platform where families spend the funds.

Each state has its own rules for how you pay. This page takes Arizona first, then Arkansas.

Arizona: four ways to pay

Arizona's current ESA Parent Handbook gives four ways to pay.

• Marketplace. Buy from vendors the program has already checked, inside ClassWallet.
• Pay Vendor. Ask ClassWallet to pay a school, program or provider straight from its invoice.
• Debit card. Buy anywhere, then upload the receipt and any papers the purchase needs.
• Reimbursement. Pay with your own money first. Then upload the receipt and proof of payment to be paid back.

Arizona deadlines

Under Arizona's current ESA Parent Handbook, debit-card buys have a deadline. Upload the receipts and papers in ClassWallet. They are due by the end of the month after each quarter.

Missing that deadline is on the handbook's list of contract violations.

Arizona's current handbook lets you ask for repayment any time in the contract year. The contract year runs July 1 to June 30. The last requests are due by the end of the month after it ends. By our count, that is the end of July.

Arizona: when a purchase is turned down

The current ESA Parent Handbook lists things the funds cannot pay for. Here are some reasons a purchase may not be allowed.

• No receipt or missing papers. A debit-card buy needs its receipt and any required papers.
• An item on the not-allowed list. Shopping membership fees, clothing and gift cards are on that list.
• A family plan. A family plan for an online program is not allowed. The exception is a receipt that lists each ESA student's share.
• A plan that runs past June 30. You can only pay for the current contract year.
• A sibling's purchase. One child's ESA cannot pay for a brother's or sister's things.
• A purchase made too early. You cannot buy before the contract was signed. You also cannot buy before its July 1 start date.

Ask the ESA program why your purchase was turned down. The Arizona handbook notes we hold do not explain appeals.

Arizona pre-approval is optional

Under Arizona's current ESA Parent Handbook, there is no general pre-approval step. You do not file a curriculum plan ahead of time either.

Pre-approval is offered for three kinds of items only.

• Sensory items.
• Associated goods.
• Assistive technology.

You ask for it through an ESA Support Ticket. The handbook says this step is not required.

Arkansas: the June 2026 rule change

Arkansas changed its EFA rule on June 29, 2026. The newest Family Handbook we could find is for 2025–26. It came out before that change. Where the two differ, the June 2026 rule is the one in force.

The June 2026 rule changed several things.

• Pre-approval. To be paid back for some costs, you now need approval before you buy.
• Rollover. There is a lower cap on how much unspent money carries over.
• Devices. There are new limits on technology devices.
• A new test. Costs must be ordinary and necessary.

This test comes from Arkansas's rule as changed on June 29, 2026. One part: a necessary cost must help the child's learning directly. Another part: it must be needed for a documented learning goal. The test has other parts too.

Arkansas: two ways to pay

The Arkansas texts we read describe two ways to pay. They are the ClassWallet marketplace and reimbursement.

Under the 2025–26 Family Handbook, you buy from listed vendors in ClassWallet. You pay with EFA funds.

Under Arkansas's rule as changed on June 29, 2026, some reimbursements need approval first. Core educational expenses is the rule's term for things like textbooks and workbooks. To be paid back for any other cost, get approval before buying. Check pre-approval in ClassWallet before you pay out of pocket.

Under the June 2026 rule, receipts must list each item. It must also describe the services or resources you bought.

Arkansas: how long reimbursement takes

The Arkansas Department of Education says reimbursements usually arrive within 14 business days. It says the start of a quarter can take longer. In summer 2026, families told KATV News of waits of up to 45 days. We cannot promise how long yours will take.

Before you buy

We checked these rules in October 2026. Rules can change, so check with the program before you buy.

Nothing here promises that a purchase will be approved. Each program decides what it pays for.