TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) – Florida families will be eligible for the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit next year.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Florida is opting into the program with 23 other states. The tax credit was established through President Donald Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts Act to expand school choice efforts.
The program allows taxpayers to get a credit of up to $1,700 per year for donations to Scholarship Granting Organizations. The organizations then use these funds to provide scholarships to children to attend a school of choice or to access other education-related services and products.
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Scholarships can be used for any qualified education expense of an eligible student, which includes a broad set of expenses incurred in connection with or required by any K-12 public, private or charter school. Examples include tuition for students to attend private schools of choice, tutoring at public schools, and support services for students with disabilities.
“It can be something really meaningful. I think it will supplement the great things we’re already doing here in Florida. Probably going to be groundbreaking in states that have not gone down the road of school choice,” DeSantis said.
The tax credits will be available starting Jan. 1, 2027.
Largest national expansion of education freedom
The Education Freedom Tax Credit is the largest national expansion of education freedom in history and provides families with more affordable education options.
“The Trump Administration is delivering the largest national investment in education choice through the Education Freedom Tax Credit, now supported by nearly half of America’s governors from both sides of the aisle,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “This program will help families afford key education services—like tutoring and scholarships—so they can tailor their child’s educational journey and access opportunities that meet their needs.”
“Power belongs in the hands of parents—not Washington bureaucrats whose ill-targeted spending has driven down test scores and promoted woke ideology,” said U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “President Trump has built the most pro-school choice Administration in history because he understands this is the best path for students to grow and flourish.”
As of Monday, 23 states have opted into the Education Freedom Tax Credit: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.
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