The Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program provides scholarships for thousands of school children to attend the school that their parents believe is best for them. In the 2009-2010 budget, the EITC Program was cut by $15 million, making the program a total of $60 million. This year the EITC Program is scheduled to be cut again by an additional $10 million – which would make the EITC a $50 million total program in 2010-2011. Cuts to EITC will have a devastating impact all across the Commonwealth.- Approximately 273,000 or 13.1% of all school students in Pennsylvania attend nonpublic schools.
- 163,000 or 60% of nonpublic school children attend Catholic schools in PA.
- More than 44,000 children received EITC scholarships last year.
- Students in all 67 of Pennsylvania’s counties received EITC scholarships last year.
- Public, nonpublic and nonprofit organizations receive EITC funding.
- The result of EITC cuts will be that thousands of children, most of them coming from financially challenged households, will lose their scholarships. Without financial assistance these children would not be able to attend the school of their choice.
- If education is a top priority, Pennsylvania should not forget about the 13.1% of children who attend nonpublic schools. If public schools receive an increase, then the EITC program should be restored.
