In New York and elsewhere, the party’s leaders could soon have an opportunity to embrace a bipartisan policy that will help families in their states.
Democrats in deep-blue states will soon have an opportunity to demonstrate bipartisanship in a way that helps their own states materially while winning back support the party lost in November. The Educational Choice for All Children Act (ECCA), first introduced in 2023, has been stymied by Democratic opposition, but deserves fresh consideration by the new Congress. If enacted and depending on the version that is introduced, it would provide $5 billion or $10 billion in federal tax credits to private scholarship-granting organizations in all 50 states through 2028. Any contribution to a state-level scholarship organization, up to 10 percent of the donor’s adjusted gross income, could translate into credit against their federal taxes.
These scholarship organizations could then award grants to families to help defray educational expenses in ways of their choosing. Families with gross income below 300 percent of median family income in their region would be eligible to receive scholarships. (In 2024, median family income ranged from $71,000 in Mississippi to $127,000 in Massachusetts.) Approved expenses include school tuition, curricula and materials, books, online resources, tutoring, standardized and college entrance exam fees, dual-enrollment costs for high school students, and educational therapies for students with special needs.
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Ray Domanico is a senior fellow and director of education policy at the Manhattan Institute.
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