WASHINGTON – On Thursday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury released proposed regulations to implement the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC), which provides a nonrefundable Federal tax credit for contributions to scholarship-granting organizations. States must formally elect to opt in to the program for the children in that state to be eligible for scholarships funded by the program.

In a brief message, Bishop of Trenton David M. O’Connell, C.M., chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Catholic Education, called the scholarship program a transformative opportunity for children across the country:

“The Catholic Church teaches that parents are the first and primary educators of our children, and that parents have the obligation of educating their children in the manner best suited for their development and needs. The FSTC will create opportunities for families to access much-needed resources to expand their options for choosing the best tools and learning environment for their children. I applaud all the hard work of the advocates for this law, the legislators themselves, and officials of the Department of Treasury who worked diligently on the proposed regulations for implementing the FSTC so it can be a transformative opportunity for children across the country in both public and non-public school settings.”