Impacting the lives of more than 1,200 children living with disabilities or from low-income families since its inception in 2014, Academic Opportunity of Arizona (AoA) announced that scholarship applications for the 2023/2024 school year are now open. In 2022 alone, 427 students across Arizona received tuition assistance from the nonprofit school tuition organization. This provides the opportunity for them to further their education at a private school partner of AoA with full-tuition scholarships. Applications are being taken now until June 30th.

AoA is able to provide these multi-year, full-tuition scholarships through corporate and individual tax credit donations, AOA partners with more than 60 schools statewide to provide hundreds of students access to a comprehensive education. The corporate?tax?tuition?credit program was established in 2009 for C and S corporations?who conduct business?and have income tax liability or insurance premium tax liability?here in Arizona, but don’t have to be headquartered here. The program?began with an annual limit of?$40-million, but?has now grown to more than $142 million for fiscal year 2022/2023. That cap is expected to grow in the coming year with corporate donations being accepted starting on July 1, 2023.

“As the corporate tax tuition credit program has continued to grow, so has our ability to help more families says Chad Bays, CEO and co-founder of Academic Opportunity of Arizona. “Each child’s education journey is different, especially for those with developmental disabilities, and these scholarships make it possible for kids to attend a school that is more befitting of their needs.”

“Each year we are able to help provide more students the means to better their education thanks to the amazing donors we work with,” says Bays. “It is a testament to these Arizona companies that are mindful to use this tax credit program to benefit so many children throughout our state. In the end it’s good business, but it changes the educational course of these children and young adults and has lasting impact we can’t even fathom.”

For more information on Academic Opportunity of Arizona, to apply for a scholarship or how to donate, please visit academicopportunity.org.