Nonprofit provides private school tuition aid for over 200 Arizona youth facing hardship

PHOENIX — A Phoenix-based nonprofit organization awarded $1.6 million in private school tuition assistance to more than 200 students throughout the state living with disabilities or facing financial hardship.

Academic Opportunity of Arizona offers multi-year, full-tuition scholarships for more than 60 private schools statewide that partner with the organization, according to a press release.

Applicants for the scholarships must provide proof of disability or financial hardship, according to the release, with the organization submitting the tuition funding directly to the school of choice.

“We believe that every child, regardless of disability or financial standing, should have opportunity to receive an education that suits their needs best and allows them to blossom,” Chad Bays, CEO and co-founder of Academic Opportunity of Arizona, said in the release.

“For some that means learning in a private school setting and we feel blessed to have built partnerships with some fantastic institutions in our state that can support the needs of these students and help them find their path to excel in their education.”

Funding for the scholarships come from corporate and individual tax credit donations, according to the release.

Bays founded the organization in 2014 after watching his mother dedicate 30 years to early childhood education, with more than $6.4 million in scholarships being gifted to over 750 students since its inception, according to the release.

Those who want to apply for a future scholarship or donate to the organization can find more information online.

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