QuestionsParents Ask

No. Virtualis is a Christian classical school rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition, but we welcome families from every Christian denomination and background. Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, independent Christian, and families with no church background at all are equally welcome. The classical curriculum we teach — the Great Books, the liberal arts, Socratic discussion — belongs to the whole Western tradition, not to any single denomination. Our Catholic identity shapes the school’s intellectual heritage and the founders’ formation, but it is not a requirement for enrollment. See our Our Christian Roots page for a fuller explanation of what this means in practice.

Classical education is rooted in the Western intellectual tradition, which has deep connections to Christian thought. At Virtualis, we embrace this heritage: our curriculum integrates Christian anthropology, virtue ethics, and the theology of the body alongside the academic instruction. We believe faith and reason are complementary, not competing. If your family values truth-seeking, moral formation, and the Great Books — regardless of your church attendance — you will find yourself at home here. We do not catechize; we educate within a tradition that takes the full human person seriously.

It means we take seriously the twenty centuries of philosophical, theological, and literary thought that grew out of the encounter between Athens and Jerusalem — reason and revelation. In practice, students read Augustine alongside Plato, Aquinas alongside Aristotle, and Dante alongside Homer. The curriculum does not ask students to accept any creed; it asks them to engage with the deepest questions the Western tradition has raised about truth, goodness, and beauty — questions that the Catholic intellectual tradition has preserved, debated, and handed down.

Yes, but not in the way many people expect. The Great Hearts curriculum itself is a secular classical program used across Great Hearts academies, including their public charter schools. What makes Virtualis explicitly Christian is the formation layer: the Vitae Formation program (ready for 2026–27), the Christian anthropology that frames how we talk about the human person, and the community culture that treats education as ordered toward God. The academics are classical. The formation is Christian. The combination is what makes Virtualis distinct.

Virtualis delivers the Great Hearts Online classical curriculum — a carefully sequenced K–12 program rooted in the liberal arts tradition. Core subjects include English Language Arts, Mathematics, History and Humanities, Science, and Latin, all taught through live Socratic instruction by experienced subject-specialist teachers. The Vitae Formation program, designed by Dr. Dana Rodriguez, PhD, PNP-BC, is ready for 2026–27 and will add a Christ-centered theology-of-the-body dimension alongside the core academic subjects.

All classes are taught live by subject-specialist teachers trained in the Socratic method. Students participate in real-time discussion through small-group video sessions, receive personal feedback, and engage in the same academic experience offered at Great Hearts brick-and-mortar campuses. Independent reading, writing, and problem sets are completed between classes on the student’s own schedule. See our daily schedule for specific hours by grade band.

For the 2026–2027 academic year, Virtualis enrolls Kindergarten through 7th grade. High school grades are added one per year beginning Fall 2028 (Grade 9) — with a full K–12 program in place by the 2031–32 year. All enrolled students receive live instruction, asynchronous coursework, and access to our integrated formation program through Great Hearts Online.

Vitae Formation is a proprietary K–12 curriculum ready for 2026–27, designed by Dr. Dana Rodriguez, PhD, PNP-BC. It will integrate physical education, human anatomy, Christian bioethics rooted in faith, and the theology of the body into a developmental framework that grows with the student and is ordered toward God’s design for the human person. Enrolled families may also qualify for telemedicine pediatric care through Vitae Health (opens in new tab). Learn more on our Vitae Formation page.

Academic instruction is delivered through Great Hearts Online, which is Cognia-accredited and maintains accreditation standards across its academies. Virtualis is not independently accredited at this time; we are pursuing our own accreditation. Visit our Accreditation & Standards page for full details on what this means for transcripts, college admissions, and credit transfer.

Most online schools deliver content. Virtualis delivers formation. We combine the proven Great Hearts classical curriculum with a community rooted in faith, access to telemedicine pediatric care through Vitae Health (opens in new tab), and — ready for 2026–27 — the Vitae Formation Program for body and soul alongside the mind. Your child is not a user on a platform. They are a student in a school that knows their name.

Tuition varies by grade level and enrollment type (full-time or part-time). Visit our tuition page for detailed pricing. ESA funds, sibling discounts, and payment plans may apply. Contact our enrollment team for a personalized quote.

Yes. Virtualis Arizona is an ESA-approved school. Families with an active Empowerment Scholarship Account can apply funds directly to tuition through ClassWallet. ESA provides approximately $7,000 per student per year, which covers most or all of tuition for many families. Visit our ESA guide for step-by-step instructions. Arizona ESA applications are accepted year-round through the Arizona Department of Education (opens in new tab), and processing typically takes three to five business days. You can apply for ESA before or after enrolling — ESA approval is not a prerequisite for enrollment.

Four steps: request information, submit an application, complete enrollment paperwork, and receive your welcome letter. Enrollment for the 2026–2027 school year is open and rolling — there is no hard deadline. Earlier applicants have more flexibility with schedule preferences and more time for ESA processing, but no family is ever turned away for timing alone. Visit our enrollment page to begin.

Yes. Mid-year enrollment is available on a space-available basis, with a short transition onboarding to integrate your child into the rhythm of Great Hearts Online instruction. Contact our admissions team to discuss mid-year options specific to your family’s situation.

A laptop (Mac, Windows, or Chromebook) with a camera and microphone, a reliable internet connection, a document camera for sharing written work, and a headset. Tablets and iPads will not suffice as a primary device. Each scholar needs their own laptop and headset since siblings are often in live classes simultaneously; the document camera can be shared. Arizona ESA funds may cover approved educational technology purchases through ClassWallet. Full details on our Technology Requirements page.

Tuition covers Great Hearts classical academics, formation, wellness and PE programming, and dedicated support from our enrollment and academic teams. There are no separate fees for curriculum materials or technology platforms. Enrolled families may also qualify for pediatric telemedicine through Vitae Health (opens in new tab). Monthly, semester, and annual payment options are available for families paying directly.

A Virtualis student’s day combines live instruction in classical subjects through Great Hearts Online, independent study, and formation activities. The schedule is structured enough to build academic discipline and flexible enough to honor family rhythms. Lower school students (K–5) have shorter live blocks with more independent work; upper school students (6–12) follow a schedule closer to a traditional day. View our daily schedule for specific times by grade band.

Because Virtualis partners with Great Hearts Online, our students have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities at their local Great Hearts academy — athletics, drama, art shows, academic competitions, student clubs, and community events. Online does not mean isolated. Students build friendships in their small-group live classes, and the Great Hearts community provides a physical gathering place for families who want one.

A fair concern. The classical model naturally limits screen time because so much of the curriculum happens off-screen: students read physical books, write by hand, discuss in person with family, and complete independent work away from the computer. The live instruction sessions are intentionally short and discussion-driven — not passive video consumption. A K–1 student might spend two to three hours on a screen in a given day; an upper-school student more, but the vast majority of that time is active participation, not watching.

Virtualis treats physical health as integral to formation, not as an afterthought. Our Wellness & PE program provides structured physical education and wellness resources for families to implement at home. The Vitae Formation program (ready for 2026–27) will deepen this with health education, anatomy, and Christian bioethics. Enrolled families may also qualify for telemedicine pediatric care through Vitae Health (opens in new tab).

Virtualis is committed to serving each student where they are. For families whose children have diagnosed learning differences, our team works individually to determine whether our program is the right fit and what accommodations may be available through the Great Hearts Online framework. Visit our Special Needs page for details, or contact us to discuss your child’s specific situation — we would rather have an honest conversation than give a generic answer.

Yes. Upper-school students may combine Virtualis coursework with classes at a community college or another institution. The flexible online schedule makes this logistically possible in a way that a traditional brick-and-mortar school often cannot. See our Dual Enrollment page for details on how families have made this work.

The classical curriculum is, by its nature, college preparation — students who can read Thucydides, write a thesis defense, parse a Latin sentence, and hold their ground in a Socratic seminar are well prepared for any university program. Great Hearts graduates have an established track record at competitive colleges and universities. Visit our College Preparation page for more on how the classical model translates into college readiness, standardized testing, and transcripts.