Rep. Martina White: Pennsylvania could unlock $1 billion in education scholarships – if the Governor opts in

A new federal program could provide up to $1 billion in education scholarships to Pennsylvania families looking for better opportunities for their children.

But whether Pennsylvania students ever see those scholarships depends on one decision: whether Gov. Josh Shapiro chooses to allow the state to participate.

Last year, Congress created a new tax credit to expand educational opportunities across the country. Under the Educational Choice for Children Act, people can receive a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 when they donate to approved scholarship organizations.

These organizations then provide scholarships to families that can help cover education costs such as tuition, tutoring, special-needs services, and school supplies for students in public, charter, or private schools.

For taxpayers who want to support education in a meaningful way, this approach is simple and effective. For parents searching for the learning environment that best fits their child’s needs, it could make a life-changing difference.

But Pennsylvania families will only benefit if the governor opts the state into the program before it begins in 2027.

More than two dozen states — led by governors from both parties — have already chosen to participate. They understand that giving families more education options is a good thing.

For parents, school choice is not about politics. It is about finding a learning environment where their child can succeed. Some students do well in large public schools. Others thrive in smaller schools, faith-based schools, career programs, or flexible cyber schools. Public schools remain a cornerstone of our communities — but they do not have to be the only option.

Pennsylvania families already understand this. Today, more than a quarter-million students attend schools outside traditional public systems, as parents look for options that better meet their children’s needs.

The demand is real, and it continues to grow.

Research from other states also shows that giving families more choices can help public schools improve as well.

In Florida, a scholarship program has been in place for about fifteen years. When families received scholarships they could use at different schools, education funding began to follow the student. Schools then had to work harder to attract and keep families.

That competition pushed schools to improve. Researchers found that this approach helped raise public school student achievement more than eleven times as effectively as simply increasing school spending.

This lesson matters for Pennsylvania — especially for families in Philadelphia.

Over the past decade, the state has added billions of dollars in new funding for public education, while local property taxes that support schools have continued to rise.

But student results have not improved the way families were promised.

Across Pennsylvania, only about half of students meet grade-level standards in reading, and just over four in ten meet the standard in math.

In Philadelphia, the numbers are even more concerning. Only about one-third of students meet reading standards, and about one in four meet math standards.

These numbers show that spending more money alone has not solved the problem.

What many parents want now is more opportunities and the ability to choose the school that works best for their child.

Pennsylvania already has programs that help make that possible. The Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs have helped thousands of families afford better education options.

But these programs fill up every year. Scholarship groups are forced to turn away families because funding runs out.

The new federal tax credit could expand those opportunities and help more families find the right school for their child.

It would also do this without creating a new government program. Instead, it encourages private donations to local scholarship organizations that already serve families in our communities.

If Pennsylvania opts in, it will send a clear message: we trust parents to make decisions about their children’s education.

If we do not participate, we could walk away from as much as $1 billion in scholarship funding that could help thousands of Pennsylvania families.

Gov. Shapiro has often spoken about expanding opportunity and helping working families. No child’s future should be limited by a one-size-fits-all education system that is not delivering the outcomes our students deserve. 

By opting Pennsylvania into this scholarship program, the governor can put his words into action and make sure our students are not left behind while other states move forward.

The choice should be simple.

When it comes to a child’s education, more opportunity should never be controversial.

Rep. Martina White, a former financial advisor and lifelong resident of Northeast Philadelphia, was first elected on March 24, 2015, in a special election to fill an open seat in the 170th District. She became the first new Republican elected in Philadelphia in 25 years and currently serves as the Chair of the House Republican Caucus.