Tax Credit Scholarship Program
The Best School in Education Area
Through the “Invest in Kids Act,” Illinois children from low-income households who want to attend private schools will have access to new scholarships.
The scholarships offered through this program could cover up to 100 % of tuition and eligible fees for 2018/2019 school year.
Below is more information about how to apply and details on eligibility requirements.
Scholarships are offered to students from K-12th grade
Scholarships are funded by donors who receive a credit on their Illinois state income tax as a result of their donation.
Application process
- Parents will need to apply for tax credit scholarships through a scholarship granting organization (SGO), which will manage this process. Furqaan Academy has chosen “Empower Illinois” as its preferred SGO.
- Empower Illinois is a trusted partner with experienced employees who have managed a similar scholarship process in Florida.
- The application process with Empower Illinois will be completed online at www.empowerillinois.org. The application process will open January 24, 2018.
How to qualify?
- Eligibility to receive a scholarship is based on your family’s household income. See chart below for more information on eligibility for tax credit scholarships
- Scholarship amount: Your family could receive a scholarship that covers up to 100 percent of tuition and eligible fees for next school year.
- See the chart below that shows how much you could receive to cover tuition based on your income for a family of four.
What you need to apply:
Based on the information we received, parents will need the following documents in order to apply for a tax credit scholarship:
- 2016 tax return
- Proof of residency (i.e. driver’s license or state ID)
- Birth certificate or passport or ID for student(s)
Application deadline:
The deadline for submitting applications is still being determined. Furqaan academy will provide more information as soon as it is available. Scholarships will be awarded on a first come, first served basis. Therefore, it is very important that when the application process begins, you apply early
To learn more, visit www.empowerillinois.org
Please check for the chart below and the household income
Number of People Living in your Household | 100% scholarship | $75% scholarship | 50% scholarship |
|---|---|---|---|
2 | $16,240 - $30,044 | $30,206 - $40,600 | $40,762 - $48,720 |
3 | $20,420 - $37,777 | $37,981 - $51,050 | $51,254 - $61,260 |
4 | $24,600 - $45,510 | $45,756 - $61,500 | $61,746 - $73,800 |
5 | $28,780 - $53,243 | $53,531 - $71,950 | $72,238 - $86,340 |
6 | $32,960 - $60,976 | $61,309 - $82,400 | $82,730 - $98,880 |
7 | $37,140 - $68,709 | $69,080 - $92,850 | $93,221 - $111,420 |
8 | $41,320 - $76,442 | $76,855 - $103,300 | $103,713 - $123,960 |
The deadline for submitting applications is still being determined. Furqaan academy will provide more information as soon as it is available. Scholarships will be awarded on a first come, first served basis. Therefore, it is very important that when the application process begins, you apply early.
Individuals and corporations that donate and designate their funds to Universal School through Empower Illinois our Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) may receive a credit off their Illinois state taxes equal to 75 percent of the donation.
Individuals may direct donations to a Universal through Empower Illinois (SGO), but NOT to an individual student or group of students. Corporate donors cannot restrict their donations at all.
Donors-
Now is the time to activate donors and the first step in the process is registering with mytax.illinois.gov. After the registration process, which can take up to 10 business days, donors will be ready to reserve their tax credit when applications open on January 2. Once their credit has been reserved, they have 60 days to make their donation and help students get the education they deserve. If you haven’t yet, please encourage your donors to begin this process today so they are ready when January arrives.
Donation Timeline: Dec. 1 – Dec. 20
All donors must register withmytax.illinois.gov
Jan. 2 Donors can reserve tax credits at www.revenue.state.il.us
Sign up by December 20th, 2018: 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. There is a limited amount of money that is available and will run out.
You can sign up with January 2, 2018, donors can indicate the amount they want to donate and reserve the corresponding tax credits through the Illinois Department of Revenue’s website. The Department of Revenue will grant tax credits on a first come first served basis. Donating individuals and corporations then have 60 days from the date they receive the credit authorization certificate to donate that indicated amount Empower Illinois our SGO.
After donating, the individual or corporation receives a receipt from the SGO, indicating the donation was made, which then generates the corresponding tax credit. If a donor fails to make all or a portion of a donation payment to the SGO by the deadline, they shall not be entitled to a certificate of receipt for that portion of the donation not made.
Beginning on January 2, 2018, individual and corporate donors will be able to reserve tax credits through www.mytax.illinois.gov by following these steps:
1. Set up an account at www.mytax.illinois.gov. This site will have the credit application on January 2.
o For step-by-step instructions on how to request a letter ID.
o For step-by-step instructions on how to activate your my tax account.
Money will run out so donate on January 2, 2018.
What you need to apply:
Beginning on January 2, 2018, individual and corporate donors will be able to reserve tax credits through mytax.illinois.gov by following these steps:
Set up an Account
Set up an account at illinois.gov. This site will have the credit application on January 2.
Apply for a Tax Credit
Apply for a tax credit on mytax.illinois.gov as soon as the application is open on the website.
Donate to SGO
Donate to an SGO within 60 days of application being approved.
Provide a Certificate
Provide a certificate from the SGO to use tax credit when filing a 2018 return in 2019.
To learn more
please go to www.empowerillinois.org
Frequently Asked Questions
New for 2018 – 2019 school year.
The Illinois Tax Credit Scholarship Program Details, which will finally help families enroll their children at Furqaan Academy
Furqaan Academy is pleased to share the news that the Illinois Tax Credits will make funds available for new students tuition.
Please read the following to learn more about the program
Students can apply for scholarships beginning January 2, 2018. There has been no deadline established for the application, but families should apply as early as possible since scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Students/families must submit an application for scholarship directly to a Student Granting Organization (SGO). We will be using the SGO Empower Illinois. There will be an application process established by each SGO after it receives Department of Revenue approval and is operational.
We believe that the application process is likely to be conducted online only, but the application process is still being finalized. If the online requirement poses a problem for some families, support will likely be provided through local schools. Again, we will share more information and details as soon as they are available.
Tuition and eligible fees for any non-public school in Illinois are covered through tax credit scholarships.
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.
