ESA or STO? A side-by-side calculator for Tucson families
Pick a grade band and enter your Tucson school's tuition to see the ESA path and the STO path next to each other. Signing an ESA contract rules out STO awards for that child that year, so the two columns are alternatives, not a sum.
ESA
Money left after tuition stays in the account for other approved expenses.
Tax-credit scholarship (STO)
Grandparents, neighbors and fellow parishioners can direct part of their Arizona income tax to an STO, which can strengthen the pool your school draws on. STOs can't award money solely on a donor's say-so, so treat this as help to the school's families, not a promise for your child.
Choose one per child each year. An ESA parent agrees not to accept an STO scholarship for that child in the same year. A family can use the ESA for one child and STO scholarships for another.
Ranges reflect ADE's posted funding chart for 2025-26 (ADE estimate; the 2026-27 chart isn't posted yet). Where your child falls in the range depends on grade, any disability category and the district or charter school they would otherwise attend. Each STO decides its own awards, and none is promised.
See which Tucson funding sources fit your family
Answer a few quick questions and a School Funding Advisor will call you back with options for your child's grade and school. No obligation and no cost.