June 27: Parental Choice in Education

Pray 

Pray that all parents have the ability to direct the education of their children. 

Reflect 

The Annual Report for 2024 identified parental choice in education as a critical opportunity for religious freedom. This issue has long been a priority for the Catholic Church, which teaches that parents have the right to educate their children in accordance with their faith, and that the government ought to ensure that parents can make an authentically free choice. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act included a Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC), which allows donors to receive tax credits for gifts to scholarship granting organizations (SGO). The FSTC promotes parental choice by encouraging donations to SGOs, which in turn grant scholarships that families can use to choose the school that is best for them. Unfortunately, the FSTC passed without religious freedom protections. Such protections would have helped prevent states from discriminating against SGOs that give scholarships that can be used in religious schools. The regulatory framework implementing the FSTC will be developed by the Department of Treasury. The regulations are expected to be issued in 2026. Treasury Regulations that protect the use of scholarships for religious education and the integrity of faith-based SGOs would prove to be a significant moment in the history of parental and school choice advocacy. 

Act 

The USCCB actively engages in the rulemaking process, and the voice of advocates can make a difference. USCCB advocates have submitted significant numbers of comments in previous campaigns, and they helped. As the administration considers how to implement the FSTC, the USCCB will advocate to ensure that the rules protect the use of scholarships for religious schools. Sign up to receive alerts and make your voice heard.