June 1, 2021 (CHICAGO)–We are grateful for this legislative session’s bipartisan agreement on the Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship Program—especially the one-year extension of the program’s sunset and the preservation of the 75% state tax credit. We remain committed to working with state leaders to advocate for essential changes to the program so we can serve even more kids, families, and communities across Illinois.
Thank you to all the elected officials who championed Illinois kids from low-income and working-class communities by protecting and expanding the Tax Credit Scholarship Program. A broad coalition of kids and families, parents and private school communities, scholarship granting organizations, labor partners and civic leaders from across the state worked tirelessly and for many, many months to make sure that all lawmakers knew the importance and potential of this scholarship program for those children most in need. This coalition stands united to ensure all kids can find and attend their best fit school today, tomorrow, and for the future.
About Empower Illinois
Empower Illinois is a statewide education policy and research nonprofit and Scholarship Granting Organization created to serve Illinois’ children through the state’s tax credit scholarship program. Children only get one chance at a quality education, and Empower Illinois’ mission is to expand quality education options for low-income and working-class families of Illinois.
Illinois’ Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program was created in 2017 to benefit children whose educational options are limited by household income or ZIP Code. Empower Illinois serves as a conduit for processing donations, scholarship awards and program compliance for approximately 91 percent of all recognized private schools in Illinois.