If you’ve seen any education headlines in the past few months, you’ve likely read about the substantial expansion to Ohio’s Educational Choice (EdChoice) Scholarship program this summer. The program, which traditionally provided scholarships to families living in underperforming school districts or those with lower incomes, was expanded to benefit every Ohio family – regardless of their residence or household income – to help fund tuition at the private school of their choosing based on the factors most important to them. Many families in Our Catholic Schools already are seeing the benefit of this newly-expanded scholarship opportunity!
To be clear: school choice is not a new concept. For over 30 years, school choice has been picking up steam across the United States – from Maine to Arizona and more than 30 states in between – and now is more popular than ever. For Catholics, these strides underscore the Catechism of the Catholic Church that clearly states, “Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children,” and, “As those first responsible for [that], parents have the right to choose a school for them which corresponds to their own convictions. The right is fundamental.”
But, like many things in life, affordability of a Catholic education may still be a challenge, especially during these trying economic times. How many families sitting in our parish pews each weekend pray for the means to send their children to Catholic school? School choice scholarships provide relief to families, but they may not cover the full cost to educate a child in Our Catholic Schools. Financial need still exists. Enter the Emmaus Road Scholarship Fund.
Established in December 2021, the Emmaus Road Scholarship Fund is the state-certified scholarship granting organization (SGO) of the Diocese of Columbus formed to capitalize on a tax credit passed into law by the Ohio legislature that year. Contributions to the SGO are used primarily as academic scholarships for K-12 students to attend Our Catholic Schools and, in return, the donor can receive a dollar-for-dollar credit against their Ohio income tax liability, up to $750 for an individual or $1,500 if married filing jointly.
If this sounds too good to be true, it’s not. In 2022 alone, our SGO generated nearly $2 million in scholarship funds that are helping families afford a Catholic education this academic year, while providing taxpayers the unique opportunity to choose how their tax dollars are utilized; that is, supporting Our Catholic Schools’ efforts to lead children to an encounter with Jesus Christ.
Even with the success of the Emmaus Road Scholarship Fund last year, we believe we’ve only scratched the surface of how much it can grow. Based on year-over-year projections through mid-October, we could eclipse our 2022 donations three-fold or more!
It has long been a priority of our diocese to make an authentic Catholic education affordable and accessible for all families. Now, with school choice scholarships and the Emmaus Road Scholarship Fund working in tandem, a Catholic education at one of our 50 schools is more affordable than ever.
To learn more about our Emmaus Road Scholarship Fund, visit www.emmausroadscholarship.org. Ohio tax credit is up to $750 for an individual or $1,500 if married filing jointly. Consult a tax advisor for guidance on your specific situation.