Invest in Kids!
Illinois Tax Credit Scholarship
What You Need To Know to Receive Scholarships
Through the “Invest in Kids Act,” Illinois children enrolled in private schools will have access to new scholarships. The scholarships offered through this program could cover 50 to 100 percent of tuition and eligible charges for next school year. Below is more information about how to apply, and if your family is eligible to receive a scholarship.
Tax Credit Scholarships:
- Students grades K-12 have the opportunity to receive tax credit scholarships in the 2018/2019 school year.
Application Process:
Enrollment is online through Empower Illinois (https://empowerillinois.org/). Open enrollment for families begins on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 at approximately 8:00 a.m. The scholarships will be awarded on a first come, first served basis. In order to apply, you will need to provide/upload the following documentation:
- 2016 Tax Return (If your family did not file a 2016 tax return, please contact Empower Illinois.)
- Proof of Illinois residency (such as; current utility bill or current driver’s license.
- Documentation of each student’s age (such as; birth certificate, federal or state ID, or passport).
- If available, a letter of acceptance or enrollment at an eligible, participating, non-public school.
Help Applying:
You can receive help applying for the scholarship in person at Aquin. We will have staff in the Aquin Jr./Sr. High School library on Wednesday, January 24th from 7:50 a.m.-9:15 a.m. to help families apply. This includes assistance scanning and uploading your documents.
The Process:
- Families submit a complete application.
- Families are notified of their application status.
- Students begin school admission and enrollment process.*
- Scholarship award notifications are sent to families beginning in February and continue until available funds are used.
- Funds will be distributed to schools at the start of the 2018-2019 school year. Empower Illinois will work directly with schools and organizations to distribute funds.
* The school admission process is separate from the scholarship process. A scholarship does not guarantee admittance.
Application Deadline:
The scholarships are awarded on a first come, first serve basis. It is important to apply immediately when the process opens on January 24th.
How to Qualify:
Eligibility to receive a scholarship is based on your family’s household income. K-12 students from low-income families are eligible to receive a Tax Credit Scholarship. See the chart on the backside for more details.
From January to April, priority will be given to students who:
- Are members of a household whose previous year’s total annual income does not exceed 185% of the federal poverty level; or
- Reside within a focus district (FSD145-Freeport Middle School is part of a focus district. For a full listing, go to Empower Illinois’s website.)
Scholarship Amount:
Your family could receive a scholarship that covers 50 to 100 percent of tuition and eligible charges for next school year. Students who have defined special needs, are English Language Learners, or are classified as Gifted and Talented may be eligible to receive a higher scholarship amount.
What You Need to Know to Donate to Scholarships
- Donors must establish an account through MyTax Illinois before they can apply for the tax credits. Those interested in applying for the credits are encouraged to create a MyTax Illinois account as soon as possible at mytax.illinois.gov/_/#2 to avoid any processing delays when the application goes live on January 2, 2018.
- Tax credits will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Approval is automatic as long as the regional and statewide thresholds have not been met. We anticipate the thresholds will be met very quickly, so we encourage donors to apply within the first hour of the site opening on January 2.
- Once your tax credit application is approved, you will be issued a Contribution Authorization Certificate that must be submitted, along with your donation, to the SGO within 60 days. (SGOs are still being established; we will share specific information regarding the SGO you should apply to as soon as it is available.)
- Donors will receive a certificate of receipt from the SGO within 30 days of the donation. The SGO will also notify the Department of Revenue that a donation was made.
- If a donor reserves a credit and does not donate or, gives less than the amount they indicated to the Illinois Department of Revenue, they forfeit their tax credit.
- Donors cannot take a federal tax deduction for donations associated with the Invest in Kids Act.
- Credits are non-refundable, but can be carried forward for five years. The Invest in Kids Act will automatically be repealed effective January 1, 2024 if the Illinois legislature does not extend the program.
Specific questions regarding Tax Credit Scholarships can be directed to Mrs. Rosemarie Brubaker at 815-235-3154 x 224 or rosemarie.brubaker@aquinschools.org. Questions may also be directed to our Diocesan offices at EHeitkamp@rockforddiocese.org.