Interested in donating?

We are here to guide you through the process. Please contact us at [email protected] or 312.534.2617 to speak with the Tax Credit Scholarship Office at the archdiocese.

How much of a tax credit do individuals and/or corporations receive?
Individuals and corporations that donate to SGOs may receive a credit off their Illinois state taxes equal to 75 percent of the donation.

How much money can be donated to an SGO for tax credit scholarships?
Tax credits are capped at $1 million per taxpayer per year. Total tax credits are capped at $75 million per year statewide, which equates to $100 million in donations and scholarships.

Can donations be directed to a certain school or individual?
Individuals may direct donations to a particular school or subset of schools, but NOT to an individual student or group of students. Corporate donors cannot restrict their donations at all. 

How do individuals direct their donations to a certain school or subset of schools?
Donors can reserve tax credits and designate a particular school or subset of schools during the application process to an SGO. Once the application has been approved by the Illinois Department of Revenue, the individual can make a donation and designate the donation to a certain school or subset of schools.

What is the process for making a donation?
Individual and corporate donors can reserve tax credits through www.mytax.illinois.gov by following these steps (renewal donor, skip step 1):

• Set up an account at www.mytax.illinois.gov. Anyone applying for a scholarship tax credit is required to have an account. If you do not have one, the first step is requesting a Letter ID from the Illinois Department of Revenue.
  • CLICK HERE for step-by-step instructions on how to request a letter ID.
  • CLICK HERE for step-by-step instructions on how to activate your tax account.
• Apply for a tax credit on mytax.illinois.gov. Donors will need to provide the following information:
  • Region to which he/she plans to donate
  • Name of SGO to which he/she plans to donate (the Archdiocese of Chicago’s preferred SGOs are Empower lllinois and Big Shoulders Fund SGO)
  • Amount he/she plans to donate
  • CLICK HERE for step-by-step instruction on how to apply for the credit
• Donate to an SGO within 60 days of application being approved.
  • Designate the donation to “Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools”
  • Contribution Authorization Certificate
• Provide certificate from the SGO to use tax credit when filing a 2020 return in 2021 or when filing your 2021 taxes in 2022.

Do I need to do anything to receive my tax credit?
All tax credit scholarship donors need to have an account on mytax.illinois.gov before applying for a tax credit. This process can take up to 10 days and involves a mailed pin number. We encourage anyone considering making a donation to sign up at mytax.illinois.gov as soon as possible. Renewal donors already have an account and therefore do not need a mailed pin. 

Who can I contact if I am interested in making a donation or learning more about donations?
For more information on making a donation or if you have any questions regarding the donation process, please contact the Archdiocese at [email protected] or 312.534.2617.

What type of expenses are covered through tax credit scholarships?
Tuition and eligible fees for any non-public school in Illinois are covered through tax credit scholarships.

How much money can students receive through a tax credit scholarship?
Scholarship amounts will vary based on the student’s household income and be limited to the lower of actual tuition and fees for the student’s school, or the statewide average expense per student among public schools ($13,336). Students from households that are lower than 185 percent of the federal poverty level receive 100 percent of tuition and eligible fees.

Students from households that are 185 percent to 250 percent of the federal poverty level will receive 75 percent of tuition and eligible fees through the scholarships.

Students from households that are 250 percent to 300 percent of the federal poverty level will receive 50 percent of tuition and eligible fees through the scholarships.

How is a scholarship payment made?
The SGOs manage scholarship payments. The law requires SGOs to distribute scholarship payments directly to the qualified school where the student is enrolled.

What if a student is already receiving a scholarship from a school or another scholarship program, should the student be encouraged to apply for a tax credit scholarship?
Yes. We encourage any student/family who thinks they may be eligible for a tax credit scholarship to apply.

Are these scholarships only for Catholic schools?
No. The scholarships can be used to cover the tuition and eligible fees for any non-public school in Illinois.

If a student does not receive a tax credit scholarship, what should the family do?
The family should work with their local school to determine what other scholarships/financial aid options may be available to them.

If an applicant doesn’t file income taxes, may they still apply for a tax credit scholarship?
Yes. Each SGO may have a different process to accommodate this situation in lieu of a tax return:

Empower Illinois will accept other verifiable sources of income such as W-2’s, 1099’s, WIC or SNAP statements, a letter from employer on corporate letterhead explaining cash wages, etc.

Big Shoulders Fund SGO requires families to provide a sworn statement as part of the application process, stating that a federal tax return was not filed. Additional supporting documents such as W-2’s will be requested later.

If an applicant doesn’t have a Social Security number, may they still apply for a tax credit scholarship?
Yes, a Social Security number is not required by either Empower Illinois or Big Shoulders Fund SGOs.

Does the applicant need to be a U.S. Citizen to apply for a tax credit scholarship?
Applicants do not need to be U.S. Citizens to apply for a tax credit scholarship. 

If an applicant received a tax credit scholarship for the 2020/21 school year, are they a priority for the 2021/22 school year?
Yes. They are a priority, along with their siblings, as well as anyone else whose income falls below 185% of Federal Poverty Level or lives in a Focus School District. On the application for both Empower Illinois and Big Shoulders Fund SGO, applicants will be asked if they received a tax credit scholarship from another SGO. For Empower Illinois, if applicant is only a priority because of receiving the prior year tax credit scholarship, then the applicant must upload a letter from the school confirming the tax credit scholarship for the 2020/21 school year as part of their application, in order to maintain the priority. In most cases, prior year scholarships will not change the eligibility category. It only matters in cases where the recipient’s income has increased above the eligibility threshold (300% in a focus district or 185% in a non-focus district). Big Shoulders Fund SGO will not require a letter.

An applicant submitted their application but forgot to include one of their children.  May they add the child later?
The parent will have to submit a separate application for the child that was left off and that child’s application will have a later time stamp, thereby reducing the likelihood of receiving a scholarship.

We recommend that you include each child even if you are not 100% certain that the child will attend a private school. You may always choose to decline a scholarship if subsequently received.

How long does an applicant have to complete the tax credit scholarship application?
Empower Illinois: A link to the Step Two/Application will be emailed to applicants on or around January 18. Empower Illinois will begin processing applications on January 29, so we recommend that the application be completed before January 25. 

Big Shoulders Fund: The Big Shoulders Fund SGO application will be a two-step process this year. Step-one will open on Tuesday, January 12 at 8 a.m. CT. In the first step, applicants will complete the online application with all household and student information and receive their date-time stamp. After January 15, Big Shoulders Fund will reach out to a limited number of applicants, via email, requesting applicants to complete step-two of the process by submitting documentation to verify income and residence. Due to limited funding for this program, not all applicants will be asked to complete step-two.

Must each applicant have an email address in order to apply?
Yes. An email address is a requirement for both Empower Illinois and Big Shoulders Fund. All communication from the SGOs will be made through email so you should check your emails frequently.

May an applicant fax the documents that are required as part of their tax credit scholarship application?
Neither Empower Illinois nor Big Shoulders Fund will accept faxes for receipt of documents.  Applicants will have to upload documents electronically so that the application process isn’t delayed. They may either take a picture from a smart phone or scan the required documents and submit either the photo or scans. If a family needs help getting their documents scanned, they should reach out to their school for assistance.

An applicant doesn’t know which school they want their child to attend. What should they do?
Empower Illinois: An applicant may select up to three schools for each child on their application.  The schools should be listed in order of priority. There is not an “undecided” option. 

Big Shoulders SGO: Only one school may be listed. There is not an “undecided” option.

An applicant receives an award from one of the SGOs. How long do they have to make a decision and accept or decline the award?
Empower Illinois: For any awards issued prior to March 15, applicants will have until April 15 to accept or decline. Any awards made after April 15, will have a 30-day response deadline, until school starts in the fall, and then the deadline will shrink to 10-days.

Big Shoulders Fund: Families will receive a form in the mail that they will need to take to their school to have the principal complete and return to Big Shoulders Fund within 10 days. Principals will receive the same form via email, and it will need to be returned in 10 days. If a family has not been admitted to a school when the award is made, they will need to contact Big Shoulders Fund for an extension while they go through the admissions process at their preferred school. 

Can a family apply to more than one SGO?
Yes, we encourage all families who believe they may qualify to apply to both Big Shoulders Fund and Empower Illinois in order to increase their chances of receiving an award.

When will I be notified if I am receiving a scholarship?
Both Empower Illinois and Big Shoulders Fund SGO will begin granting scholarships by February 1, 2021, on a rolling basis as funds become available. 

For Empower Illinois, families are encouraged to check the portal page for updates on their application and award status. 

How will scholarship payments be made?
Payments from the SGOs will be made directly to the qualified school where the student is enrolled. 

Does a student need to be accepted at a participating school before they apply for the scholarship?
No, students may complete the scholarship application prior to gaining acceptance to the school of their choice. Students, however, will be required to confirm enrollment at a participating school after receiving their award commitment. 

Is my child automatically accepted to their preferred school if they receive a tax credit scholarship?
No, receipt of a tax credit scholarship does not guarantee admission to a non-public school.  Families still need to go through the normal admission process to gain admission to a school. 

Can the scholarship money be used at any non-public school?
No, the scholarship money can only be used at schools recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). 

What if I receive a tax credit scholarship from both Empower Illinois and Big Shoulders Fund? 
A child can only accept one scholarship from any SGO. Therefore, if a child receives a scholarship offer from multiple SGOs, the family will have to pick one and decline the other.  There is a one scholarship per child policy for both Empower Illinois and Big Shoulders Fund and in homes where there are siblings, one student may have a scholarship from Big Shoulders Fund while another may have a scholarship from Empower Illinois.

What if families need help completing their application?
Empower Illinois: Call 800-616-7606 or email [email protected]. Assistance in Spanish is available. 

Big Shoulders Fund: Call 312.751.8337 or email [email protected]. Assistance in Spanish is available.

When and how can students apply for a tax credit scholarship through Empower Illinois?
The Empower Illinois Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) tax credit scholarship application is a two-step process:

Step 1: On Wednesday, January 13, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. CT, via Empower Illinois’ website — EmpowerIllinois.org — families may access a Reservation Form to provide necessary basic information (e.g. name, address, email, children’s name, etc.). You will be able to click submit at 7 p.m. CT. This will timestamp your reservation. This is a critical step as your timestamp matters and may impact your chances of receiving a scholarship. You will want to submit the completed form promptly at 7 p.m. CT. Seconds matter.

The reservation form will ask you for the following information:

• Parent name
• Contact information – address, phone number, email address
• Child(ren) name(s) include ALL children for whom you would like to apply for a scholarship

Step 2: Beginning on or about Monday, January 18, 2021, you may complete the full scholarship application through the Empower Illinois online student portal. You will receive instructions via email about setting up your student portal after your reservation has been completed (step 1). Empower Illinois will begin awarding scholarships on Friday, January 29, 2021. Scholarship awards are subject to the availability of funds at your school of choice. We recommend you submit your application before Monday, January 25, 2020, to increase your chances of receiving a scholarship.

If a student is only a priority because of receiving the prior year tax credit scholarship, then the applicant must upload a letter from the school confirming the tax credit scholarship for the 2020/21 school year as part of their application, in order to maintain the priority. In most cases, prior year scholarships will not change the eligibility category. It only matters in cases where the recipient’s income has increased above the eligibility threshold (300 percent in a focus district or 185 percent in a non-focus district). Big Shoulders Fund SGO will not require a letter.

The Empower Illinois application will be available in English, Spanish and Polish.

What will we need to apply for the tax credit scholarship through Empower Illinois?
To apply, you need proof of Illinois residency, your adjusted gross income and a valid email address. Choose your most recent household and income documents from the same year to use throughout your application. We recommend securing these materials and scanning copies of them now, so you have them on-hand when it is time to complete the application.

Proof of Illinois Residence (one of the following for the household):

• Illinois driver’s license with current address
• Illinois identification card (issued by the Secretary of State) with current address
• Utility bill with name and current address
• Statement of benefits from WIC or SNAP with name and current address
• W-2 or 1099 with name and current address
• Residential lease (current address) in the parent’s name
• Federal Form 1040 with name and current address

Adjusted Gross Income:

• Federal tax return, pages 1 and 2

If your federal tax return is NOT available to you, you can submit one of the following as proof of your household adjusted gross income (for all adult members in your household):

• W-2
• 1099(s)
• WIC benefits statement or SNAP benefit statement
• Year-end pay stub
• Letter, on company letterhead, from employer(s) indicating cash wages paid

For more information, visit EmpowerIllinois.org.

If a family is applying for scholarships for multiple students, do they need to make a reservation for each child?
No. Only one reservation and application will be accepted for each household. A household is defined as all family members living together at the address of the residential custodian. Duplicate reservations will be deleted. One application can account for up to 15 children per family.

What if a family doesn’t know what school their child will be attending?
The application allows for the selection of up to three schools. Please list in order of priority. No awards will be finalized until enrollment has been confirmed by your school of choice.

Do families need to submit any documents to reserve their spot in line?
No. The Empower Illinois TCS application is a two-step process. In the first step, families will reserve their spot in line by completing a brief online form with your name and contact information, your child’s name, and preferred school on Wednesday, January 13 at 6:30 p.m. Families do not need to submit documents until the second step when they complete the online application.

How much time will families have to complete the application?
After receiving the application email, families are encouraged to complete part two of the process as soon as possible and before January 25 to improve their chances of receiving a scholarship. Applications submitted after January 25 will still be accepted, but funding may no longer be available.

When will families be notified of their application status?
Empower Illinois will notify families of their application status within 10 business days of reviewing their application and determining eligibility.

Will the application be available in Spanish? Will paper applications be available?
Yes, applications will be available in Spanish, as well as in Polish. The application process will be conducted online only. The Empower Illinois contact center will be available to assist parents with navigating the online application. If you need additional in-person support, please contact your school.

When and how can students apply for a tax credit scholarship through Big Shoulders Fund?

The Big Shoulders Fund SGO application will be a two-step process this year. Step-one will open on Tuesday, January 12 at 8 a.m. CT. In the first step, applicants will complete the online application with all household and student information and receive their date-time stamp.

After January 13, Big Shoulders Fund will reach out to a limited number of applicants (based on date time stamp and available anticipateed donations) via email, requesting applicants to complete step-two of the process by submitting documentation to verify income and residence. Due to limited funding for this program, not all applicants will be asked to complete step-two. While step-one does not require uploading of documents, applicants do need to have their most recent federal tax return or other required proof of income on hand to accurately report their adjusted gross income. More information and an application how-to guide can be found on Big Shoulders Fund’s website: bigshouldersfundsgo.org.

Step-two applicants will be asked to submit proof of residence and proof of income. Proof of Illinois Residence and current address (one of the following for the household):

• Illinois driver’s license with current address
• Illinois identification card (issued by the Secretary of State) with current address
• Utility bill with name and current address
• Statement of benefits from WIC or SNAP with name and current address
• W-2 or 1099 with name and current address
• Residential lease (current address) in the parent’s name
• Federal Form 1040 with name and current address

Proof of Adjusted Gross Income (for all adult household members):

• Most recent Federal 1040 tax return, page 1 showing the adjusted gross income (AGI) on line 8b.
• Sworn Statement - If you did NOT and do not plan on filing taxes, Big Shoulders Fund requires that all adult household members complete and sign a sworn statement that you do not file taxes and attach proof of income. This sworn statement can be found on Big Shoulders Fund’s website: bigshouldersfundsgo.org/apply.
• Sworn Statement Proof of Income: W-2s, 1099s, SNAP, unemployment or SSI benefit statements. 

For more information, visit bigshouldersfundsgo.org.

What will we need to apply for the tax credit scholarship through Big Shoulders Fund?
To apply, you need proof of Illinois residency, your federal tax return and a valid email address. We recommend securing these materials and scanning copies of them now, so you have them on-hand when it is time to complete the application.

Proof of Illinois Residence (one of the following for the household):

• Illinois driver’s license with current address
• Illinois identification card (issued by the Secretary of State) with current address
• Utility bill with name and current address
• Statement of benefits from WIC or SNAP with name and current address
• W-2 or 1099 with name and current address
• Residential lease (current address) in the parent’s name
• Federal Form 1040 with name and current address

Adjusted Gross Income*:

• Federal tax return, page 1 showing the adjusted gross income (AGI) on line 8b.

*Note: If you did NOT file taxes and do NOT have a federal tax return, Big Shoulders Fund has requested that you complete and sign a sworn statement that your taxes were not filed. This sworn statement can be found on Big Shoulders Fund’s website: https://www.bigshouldersfundsgo.org/apply/. The completed and signed sworn statement will need to be uploaded as part of the application process.

For more information, visit bigshouldersfundsgo.org.

Will the application be available in Spanish? Will paper applications be available?
Yes, applications will be available in Spanish. The application process will be conducted online only.

Is the Archdiocese of Chicago an SGO?
No. The Archdiocese of Chicago is not an SGO. The Archdiocese is not able to be an SGO as we operate schools that participate in the tax credit scholarship program.

What are the SGOs in Illinois? Are there any already set up?
There are several SGOs in Illinois. The Archdiocese of Chicago is working with two preferred SGO’s Empower Illinois and Big Shoulders Fund.