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All RedefinED School Advancement Service New Federal Tax Credit Program Recent News About Federal Tax Credits New Updates About Redefined ECCA RedefinED School Advancement Suite Scholarship Tax School Collaboration ACSI Children Tuitition Fund Preparing ECCA Tax Credits

Something Big Is Coming to School Growth

For the past year, our team has been quietly building something we’ve wished existed for a long time. Not another product. Not another vendor relationship. Not another thing for school leaders to manage. Something bigger. At RedefinED School Advancement, we’ve spent the last five years working alongside schools in nearly every area of growth. We’ve helped secure more than $100 million in tax credit scholarship funding, supported enrollment initiatives, and listened to countless administrators share the same challenge: “We know what needs to be done. We just don’t have the people, time, or resources to do it all.” They’re right. Schools are being asked to be experts in advancement, marketing, enrollment, admissions, communications, donor engagement, family relations, and now artificial intelligence—all while staying focused on what matters most: educating children. The traditional answer has been to hire more people. But what if there was a better way? What if schools could access an entire team of specialists across multiple departments for less than the cost of a single full-time hire? What if every aspect of growth worked together instead of operating in silos? What if increasing scholarship funding helped fuel enrollment growth, and technology ensured that no interested family ever slipped through the cracks? For more than a year, we’ve been testing, refining, and building a new approach to helping schools grow sustainably. The result is something we believe will fundamentally change how schools think about advancement and long-term success. And on July 6, we’ll finally be ready to share it. If you’ve been following our journey, you know that we’ve never been interested in doing things the way they’ve always been done. We’ve always believed that schools deserve innovative solutions that are both mission-driven and financially sustainable. This next chapter is no different. The future of school growth is coming. Stay tuned.

RedefinED Is Not an SGO. And We Are Not Here to Compete With SGOs.

RedefinED Is Not an SGO

RedefinED Is Not an SGO. And We Are Not Here to Compete With SGOs. As conversations around state tax credit programs and the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program continue to grow, we have noticed an important question surfacing more frequently: “Is RedefinED trying to become an SGO?” The answer is simple: No. is not an SGO, and we are not trying to replace, compete with, or disrupt SGOs. In fact, we believe SGOs are one of the most essential parts of the scholarship ecosystem. SGOs Play a Critical Role Scholarship Granting Organizations are the operational and compliance backbone of scholarship programs. They handle: Scholarship administration Compliance requirements Tax documentation Scholarship distribution State reporting and regulations That work is incredibly important. And honestly, it is work that schools cannot do alone. Without SGOs, these scholarship programs would not exist. So Where Does RedefinED Fit In? Our role is completely different. We work directly with schools to help them maximize the opportunities SGOs make possible. That includes: Parent education Community outreach School advancement support Tuition strategy Scholarship growth implementation Relationship building within local communities In other words: SGOs administer scholarship programs. We help schools grow participation and engagement within them. Why This Partnership Matters The reality is that most SGOs serve a very large number of schools across wide geographic regions. Because of that, many SGOs simply are not structured to provide intensive, school-specific advancement execution inside every individual school community they support. That is not a criticism. It is just reality. Schools often need hands-on support with: Educating families Engaging local businesses Building donor relationships Coordinating outreach Increasing participation Navigating implementation strategy That is where our team steps in. Not to replace the SGO. Not to compete with the SGO. But to help schools become stronger and more successful participants within the scholarship programs SGOs administer. When Schools Grow, SGOs Grow Too This is the part we think matters most. When schools successfully increase scholarship participation, improve donor engagement, and strengthen community awareness: More students are served More scholarship dollars flow More families gain access And SGOs themselves grow stronger This should not be viewed as competition. It should be viewed as ecosystem expansion. The truth is, the demand for scholarship education and implementation support is growing rapidly, especially with the upcoming rollout of the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, sometimes referred to as EFTC. No single organization can do everything alone. And we do not believe they should have to. We Believe Collaboration Is the Future Our belief has always been simple: Schools, SGOs, advancement organizations, donors, and communities should be working together, not against one another. Each organization plays a different role. Each organization brings different strengths. And when those strengths align properly, students and families benefit the most. At , our goal is not ownership of the process. Our goal is impact. We want SGOs to succeed. We want schools to succeed. We want scholarship programs to grow responsibly and sustainably. And most importantly, we want more students to have access to educational opportunities that change lives. That only happens through collaboration.

Two educators discussing ideas while wearing organization-branded shirts.

RedefinED School Advancement

The Federal Scholarship Tax Credit: What You Need to Know The Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Is Moving Forward: What You Need to Know About the Rulemaking Process What many first knew as the Education Credit for Children Act (ECCA) is now more commonly being referred to as the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC). While the name may be shifting, the goal remains the same: to expand educational opportunity for students across the country. This new federal credit, created under the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), will allow taxpayers to support scholarships for K-12 students and receive a dollar-for-dollar credit on their federal taxes. It represents the most significant national step toward expanding educational access in decades. But before the program can launch, it must go through the federal rulemaking process, a required step to define how it will be implemented. What Does “Subject to Federal Rulemaking” Mean? Rulemaking is how agencies turn federal law into operational reality. The law sets the framework, but the rulemaking process determines the details. These details include: How Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) will be certified What reporting and accountability standards will be required How taxpayers will claim the federal credit How funds will reach students and schools Compliance, audit, and transparency requirements The purpose of rulemaking is to ensure that the program runs fairly, consistently, and responsibly across all participating states. Rulemaking Has Officially Begun The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have formally begun drafting the administrative rules for the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit. This process includes: Internal drafting and review Release of proposed rules A public comment period Revisions and finalization This is a lengthy but essential step. It ensures clarity for states, schools, scholarship organizations, and taxpayers. It also prevents confusion and prevents any group from misinterpreting the law. RedefinED Is Actively Involved RedefinED, alongside other leading scholarship and education organizations across the country, is directly collaborating with partners working with the Treasury Department during this process. Our role includes: Helping ensure that the rules reflect the realities schools face Advocating for clear, efficient procedures for donors Encouraging transparency and accountability standards that support trust Making sure the needs of students remain at the center of the process We are not waiting to see how the policy unfolds. We are helping shape its implementation so that it will work effectively for students, families, schools, and donors nationwide. Why This Matters The Federal Scholarship Tax Credit has the potential to reshape access to education in the United States. When implemented well, it can: Expand scholarship access for students who need it most Bring more funding into public and private school educational support programs Reduce financial barriers for families Encourage community partnership and generosity This is a national opportunity, but the benefit will vary based on how well each state participates. The rulemaking process is where clarity and fairness are built in. What Comes Next After Treasury releases proposed rules, the public will be invited to submit comments. This is a powerful opportunity for schools, SGOs, families, and advocacy organizations to make their voices heard. We will keep you informed every step of the way, including: When the proposed rule is released How to provide meaningful public comment State-level updates, including Pennsylvania’s participation decision The potential is enormous. And the work is already underway. This is a pivotal moment for educational access in America. RedefinED is committed to ensuring that families and schools are prepared, informed, and positioned to benefit. More to come soon. Return Home

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