New York’s Catholic bishops praised Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to opt New York into a new federal scholarship tax credit program that will allow taxpayers to receive a federal credit for donations to nonprofit scholarship-granting organizations that help families pay for education-related expenses.
Hochul announced on Oct. 9 that New York State would join the program, which begins on Jan. 1. The federal government is making the tax credit available, but states must opt in for taxpayers to be eligible.
The program provides a tax credit of up to $1,700 for individuals and up to $3,400 for married couples filing a joint tax return.
“By opting into the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, Governor Hochul is helping to empower New York families to provide the best education for their children, regardless of income, or where they choose to send their children to school, at no additional cost to the state,” the New York State Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a statement.
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“We are sincerely grateful, and we applaud her decision to put New York’s kids first,” the statement read.
The conference serves as the voice of New York’s bishops on public policy matters. The statement was signed by the bishops of all eight New York dioceses, including Bishop Robert Brennan of the Diocese of Brooklyn.
Dr. Steven F. Cheeseman, president and CEO of the National Catholic Educational Association, also praised Hochul’s decision, saying her move “opens the door” to new resources for families across the state.
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“Governor Hochul deserves tremendous credit for recognizing the opportunity this program presents for New York families,” Cheeseman said. “For Catholic school families, this program has the potential to make a values-based Catholic education more accessible and affordable. But the benefits extend well beyond Catholic schools, providing additional support for students in public, private, and religious schools across the Empire State.”
The Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, which the U.S. Department of Education touts as a program offering “affordable school choice options,” is open to all parents, whether their children attend public, private, or religious schools.
In a statement, Hochul said she made her decision out of a belief that the program will benefit the state.
“After a careful review of the federal regulations, we believe that this program has the potential to bring millions of additional dollars to New York’s students and families without taking a single dollar from public schools or our state or local budgets,” the governor said. “I’m not going to leave money on the table when it can help our kids.”