HB 4126 enhances a great program already underway in Illinois. It allows children who have qualified to receive a tuition scholarship through the Invest in Kids program eligible to renew first for the next school year.
Click HERE to file a witness slip as a Proponent of HB 4126.
-Fill out your name, address, email and phone number. Leave everything else blank or put self.
-Highlight “Proponent” and “Record of Appearance Only.”
-Check Terms of Agreement and click Create Slip.
More About Invest in Kids Scholarship Tax Credit Program
Illinois enacted the Invest In Kids Scholarship Tax Credit Program in 2017. This program offers a 75% state income tax credit to individuals and businesses that contribute to qualified Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs). As long as the 5 regional areas or total statewide maximums have not been reached ($100,000,000), individuals and businesses can contribute at any time. The SGOs then provide tuition scholarships for students whose families apply and meet the income requirements to attend qualified, non-public schools in Illinois.
This Act is scheduled to sunset on January 1, 2024, but some lawmakers want to keep the program going and even expand it.
For those who might be interested in donating, the process is as follows:
Set up a My Tax Illinois Account. You will be sent a letter ID through the mail to finalize the account. Once completed, go back to the My Tax Illinois web site to access your account. Click on the blue Accounts tab, click on Individual, click on Contribute to Invest in Kids.
It will require you to name a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) to make your pledge. Two are listed below or you can find a list of them at the Illinois Department of Revenue web site. Note: You do not pledge to the state, but rather to the SGO.
You will be contacted by email to access your Contribution Authorization Certificate. Lastly, go to the SGO web site of your choice to upload your Contribution Authorization Certificate and make your donation.
Empower Illinois is an SGO. Families whose previous year’s total annual income does not exceed 185% of the federal poverty level are eligible. As of several months ago, more than $126 million has been raised and over 16,000 tuition scholarships have been granted since 2018. The average scholarship amount granted in 2020 was $6,297 per student.
The needs are greater than the scholarship money available, however. In 2020, for example, 22,142 students applied through Empower Illinois, but only 5,505 were awarded scholarships. This is where churches, individuals and businesses can step up to meet the need!
Children’s Tuition Fund is an SGO that aids Protestant schools by raising support, identifying families in need within their community, and awarding scholarships to deserving students.
This is such a worthwhile endeavor to help families provide Christ-centered education to their children.
