VALRICO, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that Floridians will be able to direct up to $1,700 in taxes to go toward school choice scholarships starting in 2027.
During a news conference in Valrico, DeSantis said the state has opted in to the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit, which allows taxpayers to claim a nonrefundable federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for donations to approved Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs).
The Education Freedom Tax Credit was enacted in 2025 as part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
“We don’t really know how many taxpayers are going to opt into this or not... but this is going to be some level of money to where students will be able to be eligible for some of these scholarships,” DeSantis said.
The 23 other states that have opted in to the Education Freedom Tax Credit include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
“If you’re already paying tuition and you have everything, maybe you could do tutoring with it, maybe you can do some additional supplies of books or other things to help advance the growth of your child,” DeSantis said.
Florida Education Commissioner Stasi Kamoutsas touted the state’s school choice programs and said being a part of this tax credit will further support low-income families in pursuing educational opportunities.
“The more that we are able to fund these families, the more it seems likely an opportunity for their child to benefit from school choice,” Kamoutsas said.
The tax credit applies to contributions made starting Jan. 1, 2027.