Awards, Approvals, and Accreditation
The Arkansas Education Freedom Account (EFA) is a state program created by the Arkansas LEARNS Act of 2023. It gives Arkansas families the ability to use public education funding for approved educational expenses — including private school tuition, online learning, tutoring, and more. Instead of education dollars going directly to a public school, the state deposits funds into a digital account for your family, managed through the ClassWallet platform. You choose where and how your child learns.
The EFA is universally available to all Arkansas K–12 students. To qualify, your child must:
There are no income restrictions and no requirements based on which school your child previously attended. Home school students, public school students, and private school students may all apply.
Yes. The application and renewal window for the 2026–27 school year is open from March 9 through June 1, 2026. We strongly encourage families to apply before June 1 to secure their student’s place. Applications submitted after June 1 will be reviewed pending available funding.
Note: New students apply through the FACTS portal at ArkansasEFA.com. Returning EFA participants renew directly in ClassWallet.
No - applications are reviewed by priority category, not purely in the order they are received. Priority is given to:
All other eligible applicants are reviewed after priority categories. Applying early within the window is still recommended.
Yes. EFA awards are issued on a year-by-year basis. Families must apply or renew each year for every participating student. Returning families renew through ClassWallet, while new families apply through the FACTS portal at ArkansasEFA.com. Our team will remind you when your renewal window opens.
The EFA is similar to a school voucher but more flexible. It is an Education Freedom Account - the state deposits funds into a digital account in your child’s name. You use those funds to pay for approved educational expenses through the ClassWallet platform. Unlike a traditional voucher, the EFA can cover a wide range of costs beyond just tuition, including tutoring, curriculum, technology, and more.
EFA funds are disbursed four times per year on an ADE-determined quarterly schedule. Once your application is approved and you have linked your student to Red Comet in ClassWallet, Red Comet will invoice you each quarter and funds will transfer directly. You do not need to manually send payments - ClassWallet handles the transaction between your account and Red Comet.
Once you are approved for the EFA and your student is enrolled at Red Comet, you will link your student to Red Comet Virtual Academy inside your ClassWallet account. Red Comet will then send you a payment request each quarter through ClassWallet. Once you accept the request, the payment goes directly to Red Comet. You can track all transactions in your ClassWallet dashboard at any time.
Unused EFA funds can roll over from quarter to quarter within the school year. Beginning with the 2025–26 school year, unused funds may also roll over to the following school year, up to a limit set by the ADE. Funds cannot be withdrawn as cash - all spending must be for approved educational purposes through ClassWallet.
After Red Comet tuition is paid, your remaining ClassWallet balance can be used for approved educational expenses, including:
Note: ADE limits certain spending categories. Travel and extra-curricular activities are each capped at 25% of your annual disbursement. Review the ADE EFA Family Handbook at ArkansasEFA.com for the full approved expense list.
Red Comet uses a tiered refund schedule for full-time EFA students:
Any refundable EFA funds are returned directly to the student’s EFA ClassWallet account or to the Arkansas Department of Education - not to the family as cash. To initiate a withdrawal, email [email protected]. The date of the email serves as the official withdrawal date.
Note: For individual à la carte course purchases, courses are non-refundable once the student has accessed the course content.
Yes. Homeschool families are fully eligible for the EFA award and may use their ClassWallet funds to purchase individual Red Comet courses as a supplement to their home education. Individual semester courses are $250 and full-year courses are $500. You do not need to enroll full-time at Red Comet to take advantage of this option - simply find Red Comet in the ClassWallet marketplace as a Service Provider.
Red Comet Virtual Academy is a fully accredited online K–12 school that has been serving students across the United States since 1999. We are an approved EFA Private School with the Arkansas Department of Education, and have been serving Arkansas students for over 8 years. Red Comet is based in Frisco, Texas, and is trusted by over 760 schools nationwide.
Yes. Red Comet holds full Cognia (AdvancEd) accreditation, which is recognized by the Arkansas State Board of Education. Our credits are accepted by schools and colleges across the country. Red Comet is also registered with the Arkansas Department of Education as both an approved EFA Private School and an EFA Service Provider.
When you enroll full-time at Red Comet, we become your child’s official School of Record for the state of Arkansas. This means Red Comet:
This is different from using Red Comet as a supplemental Service Provider, where your child’s primary school maintains the official record.
No. Red Comet is fully self-paced and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There are no fixed class times, no mandatory live sessions, and no bus schedules. Your child studies when it works for your family - mornings, evenings, or weekends. Full-time EFA students are expected to devote approximately 25–30 hours per week across all subjects to stay on track for grade-level promotion.
Yes. Every Red Comet course is paired with an Arkansas-certified teacher who monitors progress, answers questions, and provides support throughout the year. Teachers are reachable through the Red Comet platform and typically respond to questions within two to three business days and return graded work within five business days.
Red Comet offers over 200 accredited K–12 courses, including:
Please visit the Red Comet Course Catalog at redcomet.org/curriculum for a full listing.
In accordance with the Arkansas LEARNS Act, all full-time EFA students enrolled at Red Comet in grades 3 through 10 are required to participate in an annual nationally norm-referenced assessment. Red Comet administers the NWEA MAP Growth (Reading and Math) each Spring semester, typically in April.
Note: Students with a documented Individual Service Plan (ISP) and significant cognitive disability may qualify for an alternative assessment or portfolio option. Standard accommodations (extended time, text-to-speech) are available for students with documented needs.
Red Comet works with students with a wide range of learning needs. Our platform allows students to work at their own pace and revisit concepts as many times as needed. Teachers will make reasonable accommodations for students with documented special needs, including extending deadlines and providing assignments in accessible formats. Please contact us before enrolling to discuss your child’s specific situation. Documentation will be required to activate any accommodations.
Many Spanish-speaking students have successfully completed courses on Red Comet. Our self-paced format gives students more time to work through material at their own comfort level. While all instruction and teacher support is provided in English, many Red Comet courses feature an AI companion that acts as a personal tutor - and it responds in the language your child uses, including Spanish.
Yes, a computer or laptop is required to complete coursework. Students may view lessons on tablets or mobile devices, but final tests must be completed on a computer or laptop with a stable internet connection (Chrome browser recommended). If your family does not yet have a device, your remaining EFA balance after tuition can be used in ClassWallet to purchase a laptop or tablet.
Yes. High school students enrolled full-time at Red Comet who successfully complete the required credits and meet Arkansas state graduation requirements are eligible to receive a high school diploma from Red Comet Virtual Academy. As your child’s School of Record, Red Comet maintains their official academic transcript throughout their enrollment.
Follow these three steps:
Yes. Our enrollment team is available to walk you through the EFA application process step by step. We can answer questions about eligibility, help you understand which application track to use, and guide you through the ClassWallet setup. Contact Us so we can help you.
Once your EFA is approved and your Red Comet enrollment is complete, your child can begin coursework. Upon receiving the required student information and payment confirmation, Red Comet will send an Orientation email and your student may begin coursework upon receipt. The 2026–27 school year begins in the fall.
Yes. Each child in your household qualifies for their own individual EFA award of $7,208. You will need to submit a separate EFA application for each child and complete a separate Red Comet enrollment for each student. Our team can help coordinate multi-student enrollments.
Full-Time Private School (School of Record): Red Comet becomes your child’s official school. Your child must enroll in all four core subjects (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies), and Red Comet maintains all transcripts and handles state reporting. Best for families who want to fully use Red Comet as their complete educational program.
Supplemental (Service Provider): Your child remains enrolled in their primary school (home school or another private school) and takes individual Red Comet courses à la carte for $250–$500 per course. Great for families who want to supplement in a specific subject without switching schools.
The June 1 deadline is the priority window for guaranteed funding consideration for the 2026–27 school year. Applications submitted after June 1 will be reviewed on a rolling basis, pending available funding. If you miss the deadline, please still Contact Us so we can discuss your options and help you prepare for the next enrollment cycle.
Full-time students complete courses as part of a full academic year program. For students purchasing individual courses, students typically have 120 days (approximately four months) to complete a semester-length course. Time extensions may be granted for valid circumstances such as illness, family emergencies, or documented special needs.
Red Comet is fully Cognia-accredited, and our credits are generally accepted by accredited public and private schools across the country. Credit acceptance is always at the discretion of the receiving institution. We recommend checking with any school your child may transfer to before enrolling. If you need documentation of Red Comet’s accreditation status, please contact us and we will provide it.
You can also submit a contact form on our Arkansas page and a member of our enrollment team will follow up within one to three business days, Central Time.
Our enrollment and support team is available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Central Time. You can leave a message or submit a contact form at any time and we will respond within one to three business days. The Red Comet learning platform is available to students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For questions about your ClassWallet account, fund disbursements, or EFA application status, contact the Arkansas Department of Education directly:
For questions about Red Comet tuition, invoices, or linking your student in ClassWallet, contact our team at [email protected].
Contact Red Comet technical support at 1-888-730-1101 or [email protected]. Technical issues do not excuse students from completing required coursework, so we encourage families to seek help promptly. The Red Comet platform supports Chrome (recommended), Firefox, Safari, and Edge. Students should use a desktop or laptop computer - not a phone - when taking final tests.
Red Comet Virtual Academy (operated by Jupiter Education Services, LLC) is headquartered in Frisco, Texas. We have been operating in Arkansas for over 8 years, with an in-state registered agent and Arkansas state-certified teachers on staff. Our courses are aligned to Arkansas Academic Standards and our accreditation is recognized by the Arkansas State Board of Education.
