Frequently Asked Questions

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Empowerment Academy of AZ (EAAZ) is an online private school serving students in grades 6-12 all over the state of Arizona. Our program is built to empower students to set and achieve elevated goals, and to prepare themselves for the real world through higher education and professional development.

Because Empowerment Academy is online, our students live all across Arizona, and courses can be accessed from anywhere around the world! Students can also take classes from any community college in AZ after completing their AGEC requirements online. Learn more about college track programs HERE.

We do have limited in-person options through our sister school Arizona Arts Academy. AAA has two campuses, located in Sierra Vista and the Gila Valley. Learn More

We do have limited in-person options through our sister school Arizona Arts Academy. AAA has two campuses, located in Sierra Vista and the Gila Valley. Learn More

College Track students can take in-person classes from any community college in AZ after completing their AGEC certificate online through EAC. Learn more about college track programs HERE.

Every student has different goals and skills, and we want to provide an option for any student to succeed! View our different programs HERE.

EAAZ offers many different kinds of courses, on various platforms. Check out the Course Types page  or the next question for explanations of each course type. These include:

College classes online (6th-12th)

College classes in-person (After completing General Ed. requirements)

Live online classes (6th-12th) 

Self-paced online classes (6th-12th)

Students can also receive elective credit for some extracurricular activities that they participate in outside of school. Learn More

Empowerment Academy believes every student has different goals and learning styles. This is why we work with students and parents to create individualized education plans for each student. View our programs HERE. We use multiple different curriculum providers to build each student’s plan. 

ASU Universal Learner Courses –  All students starting a college track program will begin by taking Universal Learner Courses from ASU.  Universal Learner courses are college level courses, but students may choose at the end of the course whether or not to include their final grade on their college transcript. This completely removes the risk of younger students taking college level courses, and potentially putting a low grade on their permanent record! We highly recommend only transcripting courses that the student earns a B or higher, but the minimum requirement is a C. Learn more HERE. (Through the school's partnership with ASU, choosing to count these courses for college credit comes at no additional cost to the student or their family!) 

Eastern Arizona College Online – EAC is our main partner for online community college courses. After completing 9-12 Universal Learner courses, all college track students will take online classes from EAC until the completion of their general education requirements (AGEC) 

Local Community Colleges – Upon completion of their general education requirements, students may transfer to their local community college to take in-person classes (optional). In-person classes are the main way for seniors to participate in the professional certification program. This also allows for much more variety in the degree programs available to students. View a list and map of AZ community colleges HERE.

Williamsburg Academy – Williamsburg (WL) classes are offered with Live options and Self-paced options. Live classes meet 1-4 times per week and are our most structured class format. Self-paced classes are much more flexible, requiring students to be in charge of their own schedule and academic success. WL About - WL FAQ

ASU Prep Digital – ASU Prep classes are more flexible than the WA live classes, with a similar amount of structure. These courses offer one optional live class per week (participation highly recommended). The flexible online platform is extremely interactive and allows student to work around their own schedules. ASUPrep About - ASUPrep FAQ

BYU Independent Study – BYU-IS classes are our most flexible option! These courses are completely self-paced, including deadlines. They provide even more flexibility than WL self-paced classes, but students must be extremely self-motivated to succeed in these courses. The main benefit of BYUIS is the enormous number of elective options they have available. They also offer some classes that are more cost-effective, and a slightly smaller workload. Students may choose to take two of these courses to fill one elective slot if they want to try out a higher number of these classes. Students taking double electives should plan to add 4-5 hrs/week to their schedules for the extra course. BYUIS About

We highly recommend that students set aside specific times every day to work on their coursework. 

Each program requires a different amount of time based on the courses students are taking and the difficulty of the coursework. Estimated program time commitment can be found HERE.

When scheduling your time, a good rule of thumb is that college classes require about 3-4 hours of work per credit. This comes out to 9-16 hours per week depending on the class. Other online classes (MS/HS core and electives) require 5-7 hours per week per class. Some students may be able to finish their coursework much faster than this. If you can finish early, great! We still recommend setting aside this many hours in case you run into some more difficult topics.

Visit the Tips for Students page to prepare for online school with Empowerment Academy!

This program is for our Seniors, and you can find more information HERE.

Highly recommended for Seniors, any student on the full-time college track can have the opportunity to get on a coaching call every other week with a personal mentor from LSA. These mentors are PhD graduates from ASU, and are focused on personal empowerment for the student to help achieve their greatest potential! Mentors help students to set and achieve goals, along with providing assistance on resumes and job applications when needed and working with parents to support each student! Learn More

Mastery based requirements allow students to skip over material they already know, complete graduation requirements at their desired pace, and get to focus on career exploration and professional development. Learn more on our Graduation Requirements page.

We serve students in grades 6-12. We attract bright and dedicated students who want to accelerate their learning and prepare for their future. Our program is challenging and requires self-discipline, initiative, and hard work.

Specifically, our programs are designed for students who want to take early college and prepare themselves to meet the real world, armed with everything they need to be successful!

Our students come from diverse backgrounds including home, public, and private schools. No particular background is necessary to become a successful student. A strong work ethic, eagerness to learn, and a desire to help others are the key ingredients of success at Empowerment Academy.

Visit the Tips for Students page to prepare for online school with Empowerment Academy!

We have no strict age requirements, only recommendations.

Students should be turning twelve during the academic year in which they enroll in sixth grade. Students should be turning fifteen during the academic year in which they enroll in ninth grade. This age guideline is recommended for all of our courses, but we leave the final decision to parents and students because we know that some students are ready earlier. We work hard to find the balance between giving students a challenging workload and making sure it’s not so rigorous that students burn out. It is very difficult and sometimes impossible to change a student's classes mid-semester, so please make this decision carefully. 

We recommend at least age 16 before taking in-person community college courses so that students are at least eligible to get a driver’s license and provide their own transportation to and from the college. They will also be interacting with adult classmates at the college level, so this decision should be made between the student and their parent/guardian(s)

Short Answer: Yes, but it's not really recommended.

Long Answer: Most of our students pay tuition using ESA funds, which can no longer be received once a student graduates. Since our programs allow students to take college courses and professional certification trainings, which would otherwise be paid for out of pocket, students and families will usually save a lot of money by staying in high school. Since students and families usually save quite a bit of money in this way, and students graduate more qualified for a higher paying job, there are very few reasons that a student would want to graduate early. Work with an empowerment counsellor to discuss academic, professional training, and career goals.

Empowerment Academy does not affiliate with or support any faith, church, or religion. Our students come from a variety of religious and political backgrounds. We remain neutral and build a safe environment where students are free to be themselves, learn from each other, and share their ideas and beliefs in respectful ways.

One of our curriculum providers, BYU-IS,  is affiliated with the church school BYU, but does not teach any religious material in their MS/HS courses. Personal ideals and beliefs may be discussed in student discussion forums, etc. Learn More Here 

Most of our students use ESA funds to pay for Empowerment Academy tuition. We have committed to keeping our tuition costs at or below to the Universal ESA amount so that any Arizona student can receive a full ride scholarship through the ESA program, and not have to pay a penny out-of-pocket to attend Empowerment Academy. Visit our Tuition page for more information. 

Learn more about ESA state funding for families HERE.

If tuition is being paid out of pocket, it is the same cost for Annual, Semi-Annual, or Quarterly payments. Monthly payments require an upfront payment of $2000, then the remaining amount will be divided equally across the remaining 9 months of school.

View our Academic Calendar.

We treat students with special needs with respect and dignity, and we strive to understand their challenges and support them as they learn and grow with us.

 No, Empowerment Academy (the private school) does not directly provide special education services. Empowerment Academy does not have a special education department and it is assumed and clarified in the enrollment agreement and on the website that parents of students in the private school forfeit their rights to an IEP or other accommodations they might have through a public school.

Empowerment Academy does not provide, and is not responsible for IEPs, nor the accompanying support that public schools typically offer. Occasionally one of our team members will participate in an IEP meeting with a partner school, but only in an advisory capacity. Some teachers may choose to make allowances for student-specific issues, but this should not be expected, and is up to the teacher's sole discretion.* If the parent and student decide to enroll in our programs, they should agree that they are foregoing the expectations of an IEP.

*(In college level courses, parents cannot interact with college professors on behalf of the student. Students in college programs are choosing to work on a college level, which is an adult level. All interactions with college professors or other college staff must be done by the student.)

Most of our students are funded trough ESA funds. Students with IEP’s or other special needs may be able to receive additional funding through the ESA program. Our tuition is equal to the universal ESA amount, so any additional funding may be used by parents to purchase additional accommodations or assistance for their student outside of Empowerment Academy. If requested, Empowerment Academy staff may be able to advise parents on how to use these additional funds.

It depends on how fast you work and how many courses you’re taking. Our program is challenging and requires self-discipline, personal initiative, and hard work. A strong work ethic, organization, and eagerness to learn are the key ingredients of success at Empowerment Academy. 

We encourage students to set aside designated time for school, and designated time for activities that are important to them and their parents. We believe that balance is important for healthy living, and we encourage students to participate in drama, music, dance, athletics, martial arts, social and/or religious youth groups, and other activities that balance out all of the academic work students do. We encourage students to share their priorities with parents and mentors and learn to carefully manage their time and energy.

Specifically, if the course load seems too high, or if students want additional flexibility, we encourage students on to consider taking Independent Courses for PE, Fine Arts and Electives. These classes help students earn credit for activities that they are already doing, like piano lessons, team sports, martial arts, and other activities in which they are already engaged. This can help to free up important time students can use to keep their lives balanced. We also provide funding for extracurricular activities! Learn more HERE.

EAAZ mentors and empowerment counsellors reach out to struggling students with offers to help them figure out how to succeed. Additional tutoring and mentor help is available for students depending on the program. 

Each of our programs include different forms of tutoring. EAC (the main provider of our college programs) offers unlimited tutoring in any subject for students enrolled in their classes. View the Tutoring Info page HERE

Visit the Tips for Students page to for ideas on how to prepare to be successful in online school!

Yes, our withdrawal policy is as follows:

Each provider in our various programs has a specific refund/withdrawal policy. Once a student is enrolled with EAAZ and has been enrolled in the various programs they must abide by those providers' policies. If a student is eligible for a withdrawal refund through the provider, students are eligible for an 80% refund from Empowerment Academy. Partial refunds (from one providor but not another) will be calculated accordingly. This same policy applies to grades on EAAZ transcripts. 

For EAC Classes:

• Students who withdraw in the first week of class receive no grade or record on their transcripts (High School and College)
• Students who withdraw by the EAC withdrawal deadline receive a W on their transcripts. (High school and College) view EAC Academic Calendar

For Williamsburg:

• Students who withdraw from a course within the first 28 days of a semester receive no grade or record on their transcript
• Students who withdraw after 28 days receive an “F” for that course on their transcript

For other curriculum providers, please refer to their websites.

At very least, students will need access to a newer computer, the internet, and the Microsoft suite. Student Technology packages will soon be available to purchase using ESA funds!

Click HERE for Williamsburg's explanation of recommended tech requirements and skills for student success! 

 College level courses generally have more specific tech requirements for proctored exams. View the ASU course tech requirements HERE. Community college tech requirements are generally very similar.  

Visit the Tips for Students page to for ideas on how to prepare to be successful in online school!

Canvas is a learning management system (LMS). It’s the online platform used by EAC and Williamsburg to deliver all our courses. Canvas is where students will receive and submit assignments, complete some of their studies, collaborate with classmates, and access their course syllabi and assignments. For Williamsburg Courses ONLY: Parents may create an Observer account in Canvas in order to view their student’s assignments.

Go to the Platform Walkthrough Videos for a how-to video on how to use canvas for students.

Empowerment Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnic origin, sex, or religion. We welcome diversity in our programs and strive to have students of high moral character from diverse races, ethnicities, and religions. Understanding and embracing diversity is a key characteristic for leaders seeking a liberal education.

Yes. We believe that every EAAZ student has the ability to be a leader and change the world in a meaningful way. We expect our students to act accordingly. We expect every student to treat others with dignity and respect at all times, and to be truthful in all they say and do.

Plagiarism, cheating, or other falsification of research on projects, papers, or exams are not tolerated. Students agree in every course that they will not receive unwarranted help from any person and will complete all work for themselves. Honor code violations may result in a failing grade and/or being permanently expelled from the Academy. 

Each of our platforms has a similar Academic Honesty policy, if a student gets dropped from any class for Academic Honesty violations, EAAZ cannot be held liable for academic consequences, including but not limited to negative effects to the student’s permanent transcript, and banning from specific programs.