Georgia $58 million Cap Hit on First Day

Torah Day School of Atlanta students and faculty at a school choice rally

For the second year in a row, Georgia’s scholarship tax credit program hit its $58 million donation cap on the first day the tax credits were made available. Enacted in 2008, the program awards dollar-for-dollar tax credits to donors who contribute to a Student Scholarship Organization. The funds are then used to award scholarships to students choosing to attend private schools. This year, the state received applications for $108.7 million in tax credits on January 4th leading the Department of Revenue to prorate each pledge to about 53% of the amount submitted on the application.

“Georgia taxpayers clearly want to support educational choice,” says Agudath Israel of America’s national director of state relations, Rabbi A. D. Motzen. “The scholarship tax credit program should be expanded so that more students can attend the school of their parent’s choice.”

Since 2008, the tax credit program has generated $20 million in scholarships for students choosing Jewish schools. Agudath Israel was part of the original Georgia school choice coalition and is co-sponsoring a school choice celebration and rally at the State Capitol on Wednesday, January 27th.