What is it?

Invest in Kids is a tax credit scholarship program enacted by the Illinois legislature in 2017. The program allows individuals and businesses to donate up to $100 million to Scholarship Granting Organizations, or SGOs, in exchange for state income tax credits worth 75 percent of the donation. The SGOs are responsible for registering families and distributing the donated funds based on financial need.

What kind of affect will it have?

As of Jan. 15, more than $41 million was donated, most of which was in Cook County. If the state generates the maximum $100 million in donations, it is estimated that between 6,000 and 10,000 scholarships to private schools could be granted across the state. The Invest in Kids effort would need to refill the coffers each year for the next five years of the pilot program to maintain funding and private school enrollment.

How will the funds be dispersed?

Per the legislation, most of the money — $51 million — can be raised and spent in Cook County. The next largest pot — $23 million — goes to Region 2, which is made up of Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, DuPage, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kendall, Lake, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties. Empower Illinois list 140 schools in Region 2. Not all area private schools are listed on Empower’s website including Rockford Iqra School, Berean Baptist Christian and Montessori Private Academy.

How can I make a donation?

Donors need to register at mytax.illinois.gov. Once tax credits are reserved, donors will have 60 days to make the donation to the scholarship granting organization of their choice and begin the process of claiming their tax credits. Funds raised in the region, stay in the region, but if a region doesn’t meet its donation cap, another region that’s met its contribution limit could take on those funds.

How do I know if I qualify?

Eligibility for funds through Invest in Kids is determined by federal poverty levels. Families below 185 percent of federal poverty levels (annual adjusted gross income of $45,510 for a family of four) are set to receive the most benefit — 100 percent of tuition and fees. Families that fall below 300 percent of federal poverty levels ($73,800 for a family for four) are eligible for scholarships covering 50 percent of tuition and fees. Scholarships will cover up to $13,000 a year per student. Scholarships for students with unique learning needs such as gifted students, English language learners or students requiring special education could run as high as $26,000 a year.

What is a scholarship worth?

According to the website Private School Review, the average tuition at private high schools in Illinois is almost $12,300 a year. The average tuition at private elementary schools is nearly $6,000 a year.

How will I know if I receive funds?

Funds will be distributed by region on a first-come, first-served basis. Priority will be given to students with the greatest financial needs as well as students who live in “focus districts.” Focus districts are public school districts in which at least one school has a subgroup of students performing in the bottom 10 percent statewide or has a graduation rate of less than 60 percent. Rockford, Belvidere and Freeport are listed as focus districts. Scholarship award notifications are supposed to be sent to families starting in February. All applications are supposed to be processed by April 1.

How will be program be assessed?

Students who receive scholarships will be required to take a state assessment test. The Illinois State Board of Education will select an independent research organization to conduct an annual study examining the year-to-year learning gains of students receiving scholarships and a comparison of these learning gains to public school students with similar demographic backgrounds.

What affect will it have on Illinois, schools?

Donated dollars will go toward private school tuition and fees for families who are awarded scholarships. The donors will be able to apply the tax credit on their tax returns. The current plan allows a maximum of $75 million in tax credits be made available to individuals and corporations. Those are tax dollars that will not be going into state coffers. Several revenue streams that fund public schools are based on a per-pupil formula. Fewer students means less revenue for public schools, granted the schools no longer have to provide day-to-day educational services for those children.  

Source: Empower Illinois