Thanks to your help, a revised ECCA is now federal law as of July 2025!

Donors can receive a 100% tax credit for up to $1,700 in donations to eligible scholarship granting organization (SGO) starting in 2027. State governors can opt their states in to participate in this new program by December 31, 2026.

We now have to convince our state governors to support this program:

CT:  Gov. Ned Lamont      VT:  Gov. Phil Scott    RI: Gov. Daniel McKee

MA: Gov. Maura Healey    ME: Gov. Janet Mills   NH: Gov.Kelly Ayotte

Sign your state's petition today!

In New Hampshire, Gov. Kelly Ayotte recently signed into law expanded NH Education Freedom Accounts and a Parental Bill of Rights. 

Public, charter and private school children benefit from the federal tax-credit scholarship program.

Read one of our supporter's Letter to the Editor and the CT Catholic Conference's Letter to the Editor.

New FAQs (August2025)

1. Will these new "ECCA" K-12 educational scholarships take away money from public school students and public schools?

• No.The program is entirely funded by private donations to scholarship granting organizations. It has no effect on the federal Department of Education funding. No federal, state, or local government-collected taxpayers’ funds are used. As a result, the scholarships are not vouchers.

2. Who can benefit from these scholarships?

• Any public or nonpublic school student, whose family earns less than 300% of the gross median income in their area according to federal statistics, can apply for a scholarship.
• Public school students can use these scholarships for educational expenses that include tutoring, technology, tuition at an out-of-district public school, and special needs services. Nonpublic school students can use these scholarships to offset nonpublic school tuition in addition to these services.

3. Who receives the tax-credit and where can the donations be made?

• Beginning in 2027, the maximum federal tax-credit for a donation to a K-12 scholarship program is currently set at $1,700. Even if Connecticut does not allow its scholarship organizations to participate in the program, Connecticut residents can donate to out-of-state scholarship organizations to receive the tax-credit. It would make sense to encourage gifts to be made within the state of Connecticut to keep the funds in-state.

4. What is the maximum scholarship given to a student?

• There is no limit in the federal law. It depends on how much money a scholarship organization raises and how many students apply.

5. Will these scholarships cause public schools to close?

• Very unlikely. The costs of opening and building new nonpublic schools are not covered by this scholarship program. While the Archdiocese hopes to open a school for Hartford students who want to attend a Catholic school, it would likely not attract all the students from one public school.
• Opponents to private school choice have long argued that cost-savings, i.e., the expected number of students leaving one public school class, would not be enough to reduce the costs of public education significantly. Depending on the size of a school system, the costs of students do not become measurable until a threshold of twenty students enrolled/unenrolled has been met.

6. How does a state participate in the program?

• While the requirements of the program could change and regulations are forthcoming, the Governor or his designee who elects to receive federal funds on behalf of the state, must notify the Secretary of the U.S. Treasury before January 1, 2027 that Connecticut will participate. The Governor will certify that he/she has such power to opt the state into participation, and the governor will also approve a list of scholarship granting organizations that can participate in this program. The election to opt-in is an annual election. The IRS will track the tax-credits.

More information:

https://investineducation.org/

July 2, 2025 Update

One Step Closer to Tax Credit Scholarships!

    Yesterday, the Senate passed a revised version of the ECCA, and we are waiting for the House of Representatives to pass this innovative legislation this week.  Thank you to everyone who signed our petition: it made an impact!

May 12, 2025 Update

     Update: it passed and later passed the House of Representatives.

     Tomorrow, May 13th, the House Ways and Means Committee will be marking up its tax plan for the reconciliation bill: AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (AINS), and it INCLUDES most provisions of ECCA. Instead of $10 billion in credits allowed, $5 billion credits are allowed. Your letters worked, and we are watching for final details and any potential changes. Please see this section by section summary. Thank you! 

The Educational Choice for Children Act H.R. 833/S. 292

Catholic school families across New England have been waiting for decades for relief to help send their children to the schools that fit their religious and academic goals.

Now is our once in a generation chance to make it happen.

• Access to scholarships would open doors for many low to middle income families across these states in cities, suburbs, and rural areas.
• Congress has the chance to include the Educational Choice for Children Act's tax credit for donations to scholarship organizations in the next federal budget.
• This tax credit does not affect federal or state public education funding, and it is based solely on tax-credits for private donations.

Let's push this over the finish line:

Original Bill text: H.R. 833/S. 292

Bill text passed by Senate on 7/1/2025: Amendment 2848 to H.R. 1. Section 70411, page 374.

More Details:

"The ECCA would provide K-12 scholarships for as many as two million students across America to attend schools that best meet their educational needs as determined by their parents. Under this bill, $10 billion in federal tax credits would be available for individuals and businesses that contribute to non-profit scholarship-granting organizations. The funds could be used to pay for tuition, tutoring, special needs services, homeschooling curriculum materials, and education technology, among other eligible uses. Scholarships would be funded with private donations, not federal dollars, and donors would receive a federal tax credit. The ECCA would expand school choice and opportunity while respecting federalism, protecting religious liberty, and ensuring private school autonomy."- Invest in Education Coalition (Endorsed by U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Catholic Education (USCCB) & the Connecticut Catholic Conference)

"The Educational Choice for Children Act would allow taxpayers to deduct up to 10% of their adjusted gross income and corporations up to 5% of taxable income as donations to private K-12 scholarship funds. It builds on policies in 21 states — including Pennsylvania, Texas, and Arizona — allowing similar deductions on state tax returns.  Agency leaders interviewed by The Washington Times expressed optimism that the act will pass the Senate and House in May’s budget reconciliation process, allowing them to distribute an average of $4,500 per student. Federal Tax Credit Could Steer $10 Billion To Private School Scholarships.