Walberg, Colleagues Urge Governors to Opt in to Federal School Choice Initiative

This week, Representatives Tim Walberg (R-MI), Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Burgess Owens (R-UT) and Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Tim Scott (R-SC) sent letters to the governors of all 50 U.S. states and the mayor of the District of Columbia. In the letters, the members called upon the governors to opt in to a new federal scholarship tax credit initiative, allowing students, parents, and scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) in their state to participate.

"This innovative credit will unlock billions of private dollars to fund scholarships for K-12 students across the country, including in your state," the lawmakers write. "By participating, you can give countless students the chance to pursue the education they deserve-without any new state spending and without new mandates or added bureaucracy."

"Importantly, this tax credit complements existing state-level education programs," the lawmakers continue. "It will not impact federal or state education funding or diminish public schools. Instead, it gives families more options-whether in public or private, religious or non-religious settings-and allows students to either pursue new opportunities or enrich their current education."

Read the full letter here.

Background

On July 4, 2025, a provision included in the Working Families Tax Cuts legislation, which was based on the Educational Choice for Children Act, became the first federal school choice program enacted into law.

Governors are required annually to designate participating SGOs in order to make scholarship opportunities available to students in their state. While the tax credit officially launches on January 1, 2027, it is important for states to opt in early to provide certainty to students and SGOs.