Pennsylvania EFTC Status: No decision yet

Help Pennsylvania Opt In

Josh Shapiro

Governor , D

“The governor is awaiting guidance from the feds that outlines how the new education tax credit would work -- including which students will be eligible, how this federal initiative will interact with existing programs, and more.”
Rosie Lapowsky, Governor Shapiro spokesperson, October 2025 (via WESA 90.5 FM)

Address: 508 Main Capitol Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120

Phone: (717) 787-2500

Contact: Governor's Contact Page

Online contact form is the most reliable channel for constituent messages. Phone is available for time-sensitive outreach. Written mail to the Capitol address is appropriate for formal advocacy letters.

EFTC Status in Pennsylvania

Governor Josh Shapiro (D) continues to defer his decision pending Treasury guidance, including which students will be eligible and how the federal program will interact with existing state programs. U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon publicly called on Shapiro to opt in (April 13, 2026). Pennsylvania has until January 1, 2027 to submit IRS Form 15714. Estimated forgone scholarship value over three years: approximately $2 billion.

Your state needs you!

Pennsylvania has not yet opted in to the Education Freedom Tax Credit. Your voice can make the difference.

Take Action Now

What You Can Do Now

While Pennsylvania has not yet opted in, there are concrete steps you can take to prepare your school and advocate for participation.

1

Contact Your Governor

The governor must file IRS Form 15714 to opt in. Use our advocacy kit to send a personalized letter.

2

Rally Your Legislators

State legislators can pressure the governor to act. Build an advocacy kit with letters to your senators and representatives.

3

Organize Your Community

Recruit other school leaders, parents, and community members. Attend town halls and education committee hearings.

4

Prepare Your School

Get ahead by identifying eligible families, preparing documentation, and understanding SGO requirements so you are ready when your state opts in.

Build Your Advocacy Kit

State Context

Existing Programs

{"Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC)","Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC)","Charter Schools"}

State-Specific Context

Pennsylvania enrolls approximately 250,000 students in more than 2,000 private schools, the third-highest private school enrollment in the nation. The state operates two landmark tax credit scholarship programs: the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC), established in 2001 with a current annual cap of $590 million, and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC), created in 2012. Together these programs fund scholarships through more than 200 approved scholarship organizations. Despite this infrastructure, demand far exceeds supply: in the 2023-24 school year, approximately 69,000 scholarship applications went unfilled. FundEDU operates as an approved SGO under the EITC program.

Advocacy Angle

Pennsylvania's EITC and OSTC programs prove the tax credit scholarship model works at scale, but 69,000 unfilled applications show massive unmet demand. The EFTC adds a federal layer that can immediately expand scholarship capacity through the state's existing SGO network, including FundEDU.