The Educational Choice for Children Act
Key Takeaways
The Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) is a federal bill that would enable 85-90 percent of students in the Nation to benefit from school choice via scholarships.
The U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means passed H.R. 9462 in September of 2024, and identical Senate and House bills have been reintroduced as of January 29, 2025.
In 2024, the bill had more support in Congress than any previous federal school choice bill, with 31 Senate co-sponsors and 155 House co-sponsors.
Passing the ECCA would be revolutionary—it would expand educational options for students, empower parents, and save taxpayer money.
The Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) would allow individuals a credit against the tax imposed equal to the aggregate amount of qualified contributions made to non-profit scholarship-granting organizations. This contribution would fund scholarships for students in need and could be put towards various educational costs such as tuition, books, and tutoring. The federal opportunity would offer $10 billion in annual credits, individual and corporate giving. Eligible students include members of a household with an income which is below 300 percent of the area median gross income and those who are eligible to enroll in a public elementary or secondary school. The ECCA would complement state programs by expanding options for students, empowering parents, and saving taxpayer money.
Expanding Options & Improving Outcomes:
School choice expansion is key, as just 31 percent of fourth graders performed at or above the National Assessment for Educational Progress proficient reading level in 2024, 2 percentage points lower compared to 2022. Just 28 percent of eighth graders performed at or above the proficient mathematics level in 2024. According to Invest in Ed, these expanded schooling options would enable 85-90 percent of students in the Nation to receive an education that meets their needs regardless of family income or zip code, resulting in higher student achievement.
Empowering Parents
Expanded school choice will give more parents the power to choose an alternative to a public school that no longer meets their child’s needs. School choice programs that enable families to choose private, charter, or homeschool have proven to increase parent satisfaction.
Saving Taxpayer Money
The goal of the ECCA is to make educational choice a reality for more American families without increasing the fiscal burden. Many state-level programs, such as Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Program, have saved taxpayer money and come in under budget.
To learn more about school choice, visit:
americafirstpolicy.com/centers/center-for-education-opportunity