Pritzker to decide whether Illinois students receive $1 billion from private donations

The decision to opt Illinois into the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program rests with the governor.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has less than seven months to decide whether Illinois families in public, private or home schools can benefit from donated education money.

By Jan. 1 the governor must choose whether to opt Illinois into the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, which provides a dollar-for-dollar tax credit of up to $1,700 for donations to qualifying scholarship-granting organizations. The money could help families with such things as finding a tutor, sending their children to a different school or getting them special lessons.

Taxpayers who donate can receive the credit no matter what Pritzker decides. But Illinois students benefit only if he says ‘yes’ to the program.

Nearly 64% of Illinois voters in 33 jurisdictions supported opting into the program in a non-binding question on the March 17 ballot.

While some lawmakers listened to Illinois voters and introduced a bill that would opt Illinois into the program, other lawmakers influenced by the Chicago Teachers Union introduced a measure to block the state from opting in.

Here’s what you need to know about a program that could unlock as much as $1 billion for Illinois students.

Public and private school students can benefit.

Illinois students are struggling. The most recent state test scores show just over half of students were reading at grade level in spring 2025. Only 39% were proficient in math.

The scholarship program offers families a way to provide the academic support their children need, whether at home, at their local public school or at a private school.

The program takes no money from public schools.

Instead, the scholarships are donated by taxpayers. The credit of up to $1,700 will matter little to a billionaire but could persuade middle-income givers.

The only cost to the federal government is minimal foregone income tax revenue. There is no cost to states, only the benefit of more help flowing directly to students.

The program has bipartisan support.

Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently said she intends to opt in her state, as she is “supportive of the federal tax credit scholarship and its potential to help New York students and schools.”

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, also a Democrat, calls opting in a no-brainer.

“The more Democratic governors learn about it, I fully expect that most will come around and participate,” Polis said. “Because from our perspective, it’s free money.”

Jorge Elorza, CEO of Democrats for Education Reform, has said that “if a state does not opt in, then by default, the first $1,700 in every single federal taxpayer’s taxes is going to leave your state.” Referring to polling, Elorza said that “opting in is not just popular, it is overwhelmingly popular.”

The program provides additional resources to students with disabilities.

The money can be used for educational therapies for students with disabilities.

Most students with disabilities enroll in public schools. In the 2024-2025 school year, nearly 375,000 Illinois students with disabilities attended public schools.

Nationally, 95% of school-aged students with disabilities were enrolled in regular public schools in fall 2022, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Under the program, families of these students could access money for additional educational therapies to help their children thrive in their public school.

The choice is simple: Pritzker can opt into the program and allow Illinois families and students access to donated education money.

Or he can watch the money flow to other states.