A national movement that has gained traction in state legislatures across the country is now poised to take a major leap forward in Washington. Backed by President Trump and a broad coalition of supporters, the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) is emerging as a centerpiece of the GOP’s 2025 tax reform agenda.
The bill would fulfill a key campaign promise Trump made during the 2024 election: to expand school choice nationwide and empower parents with greater control over their children’s education. Now, as Congress prepares to rewrite the federal tax code, school choice advocates say the time is right to pass the most consequential education freedom measure in American history.
“Parents should decide how their children are educated—not government bureaucrats,” Trump declared in his January 29, 2025 Executive Order, which called for greater educational flexibility and opportunity. That directive set the tone for what could become a signature legislative win for the administration.
The ECCA would provide $10 billion in annual federal tax credits for individuals and businesses who contribute to scholarship-granting nonprofits. These scholarships could be used for private school tuition, tutoring, special needs services, educational software, and curriculum materials—giving families, especially those with modest incomes, real access to customized learning.
Importantly, the program is modeled after existing state tax credit systems in nearly two dozen states, many of which have seen rapid expansion over the last two years. From Florida to Arizona to Arkansas, school choice has become one of the most popular and transformative policy trends in the country. Polls consistently show that a majority of Americans—across party lines—support giving parents more say in where and how their children are educated.
Eligibility for ECCA scholarships would be based on income, extending help to families earning up to 300% of their local median income. That means most working and middle-class families would qualify—without growing the size of government or cutting public school budgets.
Groups like the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) and Agudath Israel of America have joined more than 150 organizations backing the measure. In March, over 200 Jewish leaders and activists visited Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers, urging them to include ECCA in the 2025 tax package. For many, the cost of faith-based education is a major hurdle—especially for larger families paying tens of thousands annually for Jewish day school or Yeshiva.
Supporters say the bill is not just about school choice—it’s about restoring parental rights and expanding opportunity. And with the clock ticking on tax negotiations, they’re calling on Congress to act.