Ohio remains a model for school choice and promoting better education, often in a Christian school setting. The Center for Christian Virtue says there’s plenty of reason to celebrate the state’s ongoing commitment to improving education for the next generation.
When Trump administration officials on Thursday issued proposed regulations for the Education Freedom Tax Credit, one Ohio nonprofit organization—and its president—was quick to celebrate.
Aaron Baer, president of Center for Christian Virtue, is a proud leader of the Christian Education Network, one of the largest education scholarship-granting organizations in Ohio. On Thursday, the IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department under President Donald Trump announced “the establishment of America’s first nationwide school choice program,” which is modeled on Ohio’s education system.
Under the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, eligible taxpayers may claim an annual credit of up to $1,700 for qualifying contributions. Married couples filing jointly get a credit of $3,400. Treasury and the IRS also issued companion temporary regulations to establish key procedures for states and Scholarship Granting Organizations to prepare for the launch of the tax credit on Jan. 1, 2027.
This is great news for Baer and groups similar to his.
“We’re going to be running a national scholarship granting organization with affiliates across the country,” Baer said, adding that as many as eight affiliates could soon administer this scholarship granting program tied to the tax credit.
“So now one family can get, can redirect, $3,400 of their federal income taxes to schools to attend a private school, like a Christian school, like the ones we lead,” Baer said, calling it a “massive win.”
“Right now, everybody is just gearing up now for Jan. 1, 2027, when the tax credit actually goes into effect. And these rules were kind of the last big hurdle we had to get through to see how the program was going to be implemented,” Baer said.
By Baer’s estimation, “billions of private dollars [are] being unleashed for kids to be able to access a high-quality Christian school” for their families.
The tax credit is a provision of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” signed into law by Trump in July of last year, making it “the first ever national school choice program,” according to Baer.
The IRS announcement laid out details on how these proposed regulations “provide detailed rules intended to make the new credit accessible to families and administrable for taxpayers, states, and SGOs [Scholarship Granting Organizations] while protecting scholarship funds from fraud and abuse.”
The package addresses increasing access for students, expanding educational choice, expanding opportunities for scholarship organizations and families, ensuring taxpayers can access the maximum credit allowed by law, and protecting taxpayers and scholarship funds, according to the IRS news release.
The announcement was praised by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, and IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bisignano.
A Center for Christian Virtue press release from Thursday also highlighted benefits in how the implementation of rules “demands high accountability” by mandating that SGOs dedicate no less than 90% of revenue to scholarship funding and considers the tax credit to be “remarkable incentives to donors.”
The press release especially highlighted how the rules “establish broad access by qualifying students from households earning up to 300 percent of the area median gross income.”
“Through this visionary program, the administration is transforming American education, ensuring our children receive the high-quality, values-driven instruction they truly deserve,” the press release also celebrated.
Thursday was also when the Center for Christian Virtue launched a national advertising campaign known as CEN SGO, emphasizing how families “can stop settling and expect more out of education.”
“This is the opportunity for families today, and we just want as many people to know that this tax credit is coming,” Baer told the Daily Signal. The campaign is meant to introduce families to CEN SGO and the federal tax credit, and will air through the end of this year.
We’ve been told to settle for failing public schools & classrooms that silence faith. We're done settling. That's why our new @CENSGO TV ad begins airing across America today!
Watch: https://t.co/1t10LaVA0i#StopSettling #SchoolChoice
— Center for Christian Virtue (@CCVPolicy) October 1, 2026
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[ H/T The Daily Signal ]
