Tax Credit Scholarship Information
In August 2017, with bipartisan support, the Illinois House and Senate passed a comprehensive education funding bill that was signed into law by the governor. The law includes a provision for tax credit scholarships, which provide strong incentives for donors to support non-public school scholarships for low-income students in the state. Illinois students from low-income families may use these new scholarships to attend a non-public school of their choice.
This legislation represents a major step forward that will help create more equity in school funding throughout Illinois, and for the first time provide real school choice for students and their families.
How it Works:
- Students Apply
Low-income and working-class families within 300% of the Federal Poverty Level apply for a scholarship to a private K-12 school of their choice.
- Donors Give
Individual and corporate donors make contributions to qualified scholarship granting organizations who then fund scholarships. In turn, donors are eligible to receive a 75% state tax credit.
- Scholarships Awarded, Lives Changed
Scholarships are awarded to families who meet the income requirements, based on available funds at the school of their choice.
* From Empower Illinois About TCS
How do I apply?
On January 12, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. Empower Illinois will hold a Tax Credit Reservation Night.
On that evening, the reservation application will be opened. The reservation will have two pages, you can
preview it on the Empower website. On page one, you will enter basic information, such as parent name, student name, and contact information. On page two, you will review this information and click submit. Only after clicking submit on page two will you receive your first-come, first-served timestamp.
You will be notified by email when part two of the application opens, usually within 48 hours. You can complete this step whenever you are able to ensure accuracy, but we encourage you to submit your application before the end of January for the best chance at receiving a scholarship.
For more information on how to apply for a Tax Credit Scholarship please visit:
FACTS Scholarship Deadlines
May 13, 2022: Financial aid application process CLOSES for current School of St. Mary families.
June 1, 2022: Financial aid committee will review all completed financial aid applications.
June 15, 2022: Financial aid letters emailed and mailed to all applicants who submit complete applications.
June 30, 2022: Financial aid acceptance letters must be returned, or aid will be released back into the available budget
