Overview
- Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed Florida will participate beginning Jan. 1, 2027, saying the federal credit should add to, not replace, existing state voucher funding and warning private schools against raising tuition in response.
- Florida now joins 23 other states that have opted in to the program created in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill, a list dominated by Republican-led states according to federal tallies.
- Under the program, taxpayers can claim up to $1,700 in federal credits for donations to Scholarship Granting Organizations that fund K–12 expenses such as private tuition, tutoring, and support services.
- Eligibility for scholarships is capped at households earning up to 300% of area median income, a threshold that can reach into the high five figures for larger metro areas such as Chicago.
- Several Democratic governors, including Illinois’ J.B. Pritzker, say they are waiting for Treasury and Education Department rules before deciding, as public-school advocates urge opt-outs and scholarship groups like Step Up For Students prepare new funds to participate.