English Composition 1
A first college writing course that fits a junior or senior English year.
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →ArkansasHomeschool
Arkansas EFA: college-level courses for your homeschool high schooler
Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
The short answer
EFA Arkansas funds can pay for college-level courses. The Education Freedom Account, set up under Arkansas Code 6-18-2501, is about $7,208 per student for 2026-27, paid in four quarterly deposits of $1,802 through ClassWallet. The department's EFA rule lists fees for courses and assessments for college credit as a qualifying expense. UPI Study is an approved vendor for this programme.
The rule
Under Arkansas Code 6-18-2501 et seq., the 2026-27 Education Freedom Account is about $7,208 per student, paid in 4 quarterly deposits of $1,802 through ClassWallet, and the department's EFA rule lists fees for courses and associated assessments for college credit as a qualifying expense.
The rule asks for No credit count; about $7,208 per student for 2026-27, in 4 quarterly deposits of $1,802. The legal source is Arkansas Code 6-18-2501.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Law | Arkansas Code 6-18-2501 et seq. (LEARNS Act, 2023) | [1] |
| 2026-27 amount | About $7,208 per student | [2] |
| Payments | 4 quarterly deposits of $1,802: Aug 2026, Oct 2026, Feb 2027, Apr 2027 | [2] |
| ClassWallet fee | 1.85% reserved before funds show | [2] |
| College credit courses | Fees for courses and assessments for college credit qualify (rule 2.16.11) | [1] |
| Eligibility | Universal for Arkansas K-12 students; reapply each year | [2] |
Who decides
Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of School Choice and Parent Empowerment; payments through ClassWallet decides how this rule applies to you. We read its published rule and the pages below; each was checked on 15 Nov 2026.
Which credits count
What counts
- Rule 2.16.11 lists fees for courses and associated assessments for college credit as a qualifying EFA expense.
- Self-paced college-level courses with an ACE or NCCRS recommendation can go on the homeschool transcript you keep as the parent.
- Later, a partner college may place the credit on its own transcript, which is the record a university reviews.
What does not count
- The EFA does not decide which college will give credit for a course; each college decides.
- EFA funds cannot pay for college after your student finishes high school or ages out of the programme.
- There are no cash withdrawals; every purchase goes through ClassWallet and can be reviewed.
Courses that fit
Each course below is ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended for college credit. Whether it counts here is the decision of the college and of Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of School Choice and Parent Empowerment; payments through ClassWallet.
College Algebra
A common college maths course after Algebra II.
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
US History 1
Fits a high school American history year and a general education slot.
Self-paced online US History 1 course (HIST 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Introduction to Psychology
A popular elective that most degree plans count as social science.
Self-paced online Introduction to Psychology course (Psychology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Principles of Statistics
Useful for almost every degree and an easy fit after algebra.
Self-paced online Principles of Statistics course (Statistics 101). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Pre-Calculus
For students heading towards science, engineering or nursing.
Self-paced online Pre-Calculus course (MATH 115). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →The path via a college transcript
- Check your award in ClassWalletAccept the quarterly ClassWallet affidavit so the deposit shows, and note the amount available after the 1.85% fee reserve.
- Pick the coursesChoose two to four college-level courses that fit your student's high school plan and the degrees they are thinking about.
- Pay UPI Study through ClassWalletUPI Study is an approved vendor for the Arkansas EFA; pay with DirectPay in ClassWallet and keep the invoice.
- Record it on the homeschool transcriptList each finished course with the grade and its ACE or NCCRS recommendation on the transcript you keep.
- Move credit to a college transcript laterWhen your student is ready, a partner college such as TESU or UoPeople can review the courses so the credit appears via a college transcript.
TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; ask the college your student plans to attend in writing whether it would consider that partner college's transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
What it costs
| Option | Price | For this rule | Price checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPI Study, homeschool lifetime | $250 once, every course | $250 gives homeschool families lifetime access to all UPI Study courses. | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Study.com | $95 a month (two courses at a time) | Monthly; transcripts and exam fees are separate | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Sophia Learning | $99 a month, $299 for 4 months or $799 a year | Two courses at a time | 15 Nov 2026 |
| StraighterLine | $99 a month plus a one-time fee per course | Monthly membership plus each course fee | 15 Nov 2026 |
Check that any provider you plan to pay is on the EFA participating service providers list before you buy. Concurrent credit at an Arkansas college lands straight on that college's transcript; UPI Study credit needs the extra partner college step.
What UPI Study cannot do here
- UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited; it cannot decide which college gives credit.
- UPI Study cannot change your EFA award, the quarterly schedule or what ADE treats as a qualifying expense.
- UPI Study cannot provide the annual test that EFA homeschool students must take.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
Confirm in writing first
Ask the college your student plans to attend in writing whether it would consider each course via a partner college transcript, and ask ADE in writing if you are unsure whether a purchase qualifies.
How the 2026-27 EFA money arrives
The Arkansas Education Freedom Account was created by the LEARNS Act in 2023 and sits in Arkansas Code 6-18-2501 and the sections after it. Since 2025-26 every Arkansas K-12 student can apply, with no income or school-zone limit. Families still have to apply, be approved and reapply each year.
For 2026-27 the Family Handbook gives about $7,208 per student, which is 90% of the prior year's foundation funding per student. ADE does not pay it in one go. It arrives in four quarterly deposits of $1,802 in August 2026, October 2026, February 2027 and April 2027. Each quarter you accept the ClassWallet affidavit before the money shows.
Before a deposit shows, the state reserves 1.85% for ClassWallet transaction fees, so the amount you can spend is a little under $1,802. Unused money rolls over from quarter to quarter and, up to a limit ADE sets, into the next school year.
- About $7,208 per student for 2026-27.
- $1,802 a quarter, less the 1.85% fee reserve.
- Deposits in August, October, February and April.
- No cash withdrawals: every purchase goes through ClassWallet.
College-level courses are a qualifying expense
The department's EFA rule lists what the money can pay for. Rule 2.16.11 names fees for courses and associated assessments for college credit. The Family Handbook adds that tuition and fees for dual-credit coursework taken during high school qualify, and that college costs after high school do not.
For a homeschool high schooler, that opens two routes. One is concurrent credit at an Arkansas college or through your school district. The other is self-paced online college-level courses with an ACE or NCCRS recommendation, studied at home and recorded on the homeschool transcript you keep.
UPI Study is an approved vendor for the Arkansas EFA. You pay through ClassWallet, keep the invoice, and the course runs at your student's pace.
What a college does with the credit
The EFA pays for the course. It does not decide what a college will count. ACE-recommended and NCCRS-recommended courses reach a college via a college transcript: TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider that kind of credit, and once a partner places it on its transcript, that transcript is what a university reviews.
Each university makes its own call. If your student has a target college in Arkansas or elsewhere, ask its admissions or transfer office in writing whether it would consider a partner college transcript before you buy a long list of courses.
Homeschool duties that come with the EFA
A homeschool student on the EFA is still a homeschooler under Arkansas law. You file a Notice of Intent to Homeschool with your local district each year. You also arrange the annual test the EFA requires, either the state assessment or an ADE-approved norm-referenced test, and send the results to ADE.
College-level courses do not replace either duty. They sit inside your homeschool plan as advanced English, maths, history or science, and many families use them for the last two years of high school.
Questions people ask
How much is the Arkansas EFA for 2026-27?
The 2026-27 Family Handbook gives about $7,208 per student, which is 90% of the prior year's state foundation funding per student. It is paid in four quarterly deposits of $1,802 through ClassWallet, less a 1.85% reserve for ClassWallet transaction fees. Check your own award in ClassWallet, as the handbook says dates can shift slightly.
Can I use EFA funds for college-level courses in Arkansas?
Yes, while your student is still in high school. The department's EFA rule lists fees for courses and associated assessments for college credit as a qualifying expense, and the Family Handbook includes dual-credit coursework. College costs after your student graduates or ages out cannot be paid from the account.
Is UPI Study an approved EFA vendor in Arkansas?
Yes. UPI Study is an approved vendor for the Arkansas Education Freedom Account, so you can pay through ClassWallet with DirectPay. The homeschool lifetime plan is $250 once per family, which fits inside a single quarterly deposit. Keep the invoice with your EFA records.
Do EFA funds roll over in Arkansas?
Yes. Unused funds stay in ClassWallet from quarter to quarter within a school year, and the handbook says they can carry over to the next school year up to a limit ADE sets. Money cannot be withdrawn as cash, and it cannot pay for college after high school.
Will a college give credit for these courses?
Each college decides. UPI Study courses carry ACE or NCCRS recommendations, and TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider that kind of credit. Once a partner college places it on its transcript, your student can send that transcript on. Ask the target college in writing first.
Do I still file a Notice of Intent if we use the EFA?
Yes. An EFA homeschool student is still a homeschooler under Arkansas law, so you file the Notice of Intent to Homeschool with your district each year. ADE checks that homeschool students linked in ClassWallet have filed it before funding. You also arrange the annual test the EFA requires.
Read next
- Arkansas EFA 2026-27: $7,208 and how the quarterly payments workThe 2026-27 Arkansas EFA is about $7,208 per student. ADE pays it as four quarterly ClassWallet deposits of $1,802, in August 2026, October 2026,...
- Approved EFA vendors for high school: what to look forAn Arkansas EFA vendor has applied to the Department of Education and been approved as a service provider, so families can pay it through...
- Concurrent credit vs online college-level courses for Arkansas homeschoolersBoth routes can be paid from an Arkansas EFA while your student is in high school. Concurrent credit is taught by an Arkansas college or through your...
The same topic in nearby states
Ready when you have it in writing
How to pay UPI Study through ClassWallet, step by step.
Sources
- DESE Rule Governing the Educational Freedom Account Program (effective 10 Aug 2024) (official)Programme established under Arkansas Code 6-18-2501 et seq.; 2.16.11 fees for courses and associated assessments for college credit are a qualifying expense; 5.06 award equals 90% of prior-year foundation funding; 7.04 service providers apply on a rolling basis. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Arkansas EFA Family Handbook 2026-2027 (Version 1.0, September 2026), linked from the ADE EFA page (official)About $7,200 per student in 2026-27; quarterly example $7,208 a year = $1,802 a quarter; deposits Aug 2026, Oct 2026, Feb 2027, Apr 2027; 1.85% ClassWallet fee reserved before funds show; unused funds roll over; dual-credit coursework during high school is a qualifying expense; homeschool families file a Notice of Intent and arrange annual testing. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Arkansas Department of Education: Education Freedom Accounts (official)The 2026-2027 programme, ClassWallet login, family handbook, participating service providers list and application for new EFA service providers and vendors. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Study.com college pricingPrice for Study.com, checked on 24 Oct 2026.
- Sophia plans and pricingPrice for Sophia Learning, checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- StraighterLine pricingPrice for StraighterLine, checked on 15 Nov 2026.