Yesterday, we delivered the following letter signed by 220 members of the GFC network to Governor Newsom asking him to accept federal enrichment dollars for K12 students. Thank you for your help.
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October 16, 2026
Re: Opting California into the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit
Dear Governor Newsom,
On behalf of the Govern For California network, we write to encourage you to opt the State of California into the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, ensuring California students and their families can benefit from new scholarships for qualified K-12 education expenses. The FSTC will allow working class families to access enrichment options that wealthy families access as a matter of course.
The new federal program allows taxpayers to receive a tax credit of up to $1,700 ($3,400 for joint filers) for contributions to qualifying scholarship-granting organizations, which then provide scholarships to eligible students. Scholarships can support a broad range of qualified education expenses for students attending public, charter and private schools, including tutoring, academic enrichment, books and instructional materials, technology, transportation and services for students with disabilities. The program will take effect Jan. 1, 2027 provided governors opt in to the program before the end of 2026.
Democrats For Education Reform estimates that California students could receive up to $3 billion per year from the program if just 30% of California federal taxpayers redirect $1,700 that would otherwise go to the IRS to a local education organization. According to Jorge Elorza, Executive Director of DFER, wealthy families spend 9x more on out-of-school enrichment than low income families. The FSTC would help bridge that gap — and would cost California nothing.
So far, 31 states have opted in. Colorado Governor Jared Polis opted in because the program will “encourage Coloradans to give to charitable organizations and support public education here in Colorado.” New York Governor Kathy Hochul opted in because “we believe this program has the potential to bring millions of additional dollars to New York students and families without taking a single dollar from public schools or our state or local budgets.” There is no downside to opting in, only upside.
As Nicole Pollock, President of Democrats For Education Reform, said after New York State opted in, “Today’s decision is a huge win for public school students across New York. A third grader in Rochester who’s behind in reading can get a tutor. A student in the Bronx can get the speech therapy or counseling her school can’t afford to provide. A teenager in Buffalo can get a ride to an after-school program and a laptop to do his homework.” We hope you agree the same should be true in California. A third grader in Sacramento who’s behind in reading should be able to get a tutor, a student in L.A. should be able to get speech therapy or counseling her school no longer pays for, and a teenager in Oakland should be able to get a ride to an after-school program and a laptop to do his homework.
If you opt California into the FSTC, those wonderful enrichments can happen. If you don’t, they won’t. We hope you choose to opt in.
Sincerely,
220 Members of the Govern For California Network
<List of Signers>
