Pennsylvania hasn't opted in to EFTC yet.

Under the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit, each state's governor must opt in for that state's students to receive EFTC-funded scholarships. As of today, Governor Josh Shapiro has not opted Pennsylvania in. He has said he is waiting for Treasury guidance. Until PA opts in, every EFTC dollar contributed by a Pennsylvania donor flows to scholarships in other states. The estimated lost benefit for Pennsylvania families: approximately $483 million in annual scholarships at full participation. About 80,000 Pennsylvania students are currently on waitlists for the state's existing education choice programs.

What's at stake.

If Pennsylvania opts in, donations made by Pennsylvanians can be directed to PA-listed SGOs, and the scholarships funded by those donations go to PA students. Funds can support tuition at private schools, tutoring for public school students, special education services, books and supplies, after-school programs, and educational therapy. Federal law allows scholarships to cover students at both public AND private schools — meaning EFTC opt-in benefits the existing PA public school system as well as private and parochial schools.

If Pennsylvania does not opt in, Pennsylvanians can still claim the federal EFTC credit by donating to SGOs in opted-in states. Those donations still get the donor the tax credit. The scholarships, however, go to students in those other states. The result is a real net transfer of resources from Pennsylvania to other states' education systems — every year the Commonwealth declines to opt in.

DRAFT — needs review

How to contact Governor Shapiro.

Call: The Governor's main office line is (717) 787-2500. Direct constituent comments to the Office of Constituent Services. Write: Office of the Governor, 508 Main Capitol Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120. Email: Use the contact form at governor.pa.gov/contact. The most effective communications are short, polite, name your county, and ask a single specific thing: that the Governor file the Advance Election (IRS Form 15714) to opt Pennsylvania into the Education Freedom Tax Credit for tax year 2027. (We will independently verify and update these contact details on this page periodically; the above reflects the standard PA Governor's office contact channels at the time of writing.)

Talking points you can borrow.

The federal EFTC was modeled on Pennsylvania's own EITC and OSTC programs. The federal law uses our state's infrastructure as the template. Declining to opt in means PA built the model and then watches other states use it.
EFTC scholarships cover BOTH public and private school students. Public school families in Pennsylvania can use EFTC for tutoring, supplies, after-school programs, and special education services — expenses many districts can't fund on their own.
Opting in does not cost the Commonwealth a dollar of state revenue. The credit is federal. The Commonwealth's role is only to publish a list of approved SGOs annually.
Roughly $483 million in scholarship dollars per year — the rough estimate at typical participation rates — leaves Pennsylvania every year we wait.
80,000 Pennsylvania students sit on waitlists for the state's existing scholarship programs. EFTC is the most realistic near-term funding source to clear that backlog.

Pennsylvania-specific data we will publish at launch.

We will publish a county-by-county table of HUD Area Median Income figures for all Pennsylvania counties and metropolitan areas, with the 300% threshold calculated for each. The table will be updated annually as HUD publishes new AMI data. This lets PA families see at a glance whether their household qualifies for scholarships. The table is not yet published; we will populate it before pilot enrollment opens in late 2026.