“Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, and their education should not be limited by their ZIP code.”
COLUMBUS – Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) today hosted a roundtable with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at Crown Preparatory Academy to discuss the Education Freedom Tax Credit and the expanded adoption tax credit, bringing together Ohio educators, school leaders, adoption advocates, state officials and families.
Under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, Ohioans who donate to a state-approved scholarship organizations can now claim a federal tax credit. That money goes to scholarships that help students pay for tuition, tutoring, books, computers, transportation and special education services. The law also made the adoption tax credit larger and more helpful to families who need it most.
Husted, who began life in a foster home, joined families at the roundtable to talk about what these changes mean for kids in foster care and the families who open their homes to them. Participants also heard from school leaders and families about how school choice has changed their lives.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, and their education should not be limited by their ZIP code. Parents know what their kids need better than anyone in Washington, and these tax credits give more families the freedom to choose the right school and the support to open their homes to a child who needs one. I started my life in foster care, so I understand how much it matters when a family steps up. I was honored to have Secretary Bessent in Columbus to hear directly from the Ohioans who are using these tools every day,” Husted said.
“Here in Ohio, Senator Husted championed a scholarship that has helped over 100,000 families find the right education for their children. Now, through the Working Families Tax Cuts, President Trump is scaling that success across the country,” Bessent said.
Husted was an original cosponsor of the Educational Choice for Children Act, which was the basis for the Education Freedom Tax Credit in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.
Background:
The Education Freedom Tax Credit gives taxpayers a federal credit for donations to approved scholarship granting organizations, which then award scholarships to students. States must opt in, and Gov. Mike DeWine opted Ohio in on Feb. 4, 2026. The Working Families Tax Cuts Act also expanded the adoption tax credit. Here is how the changes work:
- Education Freedom Tax Credit: Taxpayers can claim a credit of up to $1,700, or $3,400 for married couples filing jointly, for donations to a scholarship granting organization.
- Accountability: Scholarship groups must spend at least 90% of the money they receive on scholarships, which keeps administrative waste down. SGOs must register with the IRS.
- More than private school tuition: Scholarships can be utilized by public or private school students to pay for tutoring, books, supplies, computers, transportation and special education services. Both Republican and Democratic governors have opted their states in.
- Stacks with Ohio’s credit: Ohio already has its own scholarship tax credit of up to $750 for individuals and $1,500 for married couples filing jointly. Donors can claim both by making two separate donations. The same donation cannot be counted twice.
- Adoption tax credit: The credit is now up to $17,670 per child, an increase of $390. Up to $5,120 of it is refundable, meaning families can receive it even if they owe little or no federal income tax. That refundable amount will rise with inflation every year.
- Trump Accounts: The law also created Trump Accounts, a new long-term savings account for children. Children born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028, receive a one-time $1,000 federal contribution.