EFA Weekly Email
EFA Families,
Today we will cover some guidance on expense submission explanations, an updated technology policy, an announcement for homeschoolers taking the ATLAS test, and information about an Arkansas educational initiative.
Current queue dates
We are currently reviewing submissions from the following dates:
Reimbursement - 2/16
Direct Pay - 3/1
Marketplace - 3/1
Pre-approvals - 3/22
If you have a submission from before these dates that has not yet been reviewed, it is likely being given closer consideration. Feel free to reach out to ADE if you have submissions from before these dates.
Educational Justification
Including comments and explanations to justify an educational purchase is an important part of the EFA expense submission process, both in ClassWallet and the pre-approval queue. We want to offer some quick guidance that will hopefully save you time and help provide us the information we need to review your submission quickly:
Be Specific to You - Focus on your student’s specific, planned educational use of the expense.
Keep it simple - You do not need to include broad educational theory or current research on the general educational benefits of the expense.
Be concrete - Length does not necessarily increase the chance of being approved. Simply stating how the student will use the item to meet specific educational goals or showing that the item is required for a particular curriculum or course is usually enough.
Updated EFA Policy Regarding Kindle E-Readers
We also want to make you aware of an important update regarding device classifications. Moving forward, Kindle e‑readers will be considered tablets for AR EFA purposes. This change aligns with the program’s Ordinary and Necessary framework and helps ensure all devices with similar capabilities are reviewed consistently.
We can consider the purchase of both if there is educational justification that both devices are necessary for your student. This explanation would need to be included with the request.
For Homeschool Students Who Have Signed Up for the ATLAS Test:
Mark your calendars for April 22nd. There will be a family webinar with the assessment team that day for ATLAS training. You will be able to choose from a morning or afternoon session. It will be recorded for anyone unable to attend.
April Weeks will be emailing participating families with more information on April 8th.
Arkansas Celebrates America250
The Arkansas Celebrates America250 initiative offers homeschool families engaging, standards-aligned opportunities to explore Arkansas history, culture, and civic life as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration. Through hands-on activities, contests, and family-friendly experiences, students can connect learning to real-world topics while expressing their creativity through writing, art, and exploration. Many of these opportunities are flexible and designed to be easily incorporated into homeschool instruction or completed independently at home.
For more information: Arkansas Celebrates America250.
Thank you for your continued participation in the EFA program. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Best Regards,
Arkansas EFA Team
Helpful Links
Mileage Reimbursement Form (Please make a copy before editing)
Testing Information (everything you need to know about testing!)