THE BIG PICTURE
The federal Education Freedom Tax Credit starts from a position of strength and is popular with voters. The principle behind it has even broader support: roughly eight in ten voters believe parents, rather than government, should choose the best school for their child.
The credit allows taxpayers to receive a tax credit for donations to scholarship-granting organizations. In states that participate, those organizations can provide scholarships for K–12 students in public, private, and home-based education.
THE TAKEAWAY
Across six states, the federal education tax credit is viewed favorably by roughly half of voters and unfavorably by fewer than one-quarter. The public’s support for parent choice is stronger still. For state policymakers, the opportunity is to connect the mechanics of this new tax credit to a belief voters already understand.
BY THE NUMBERS
After hearing a brief description of the credit, favorable views exceeded unfavorable views by at least 27 percentage points in every state surveyed.
| State | Favorable | Unfavorable | Net favorable |
| Georgia | 55% | 15% | +40 |
| Iowa | 54% | 20% | +34 |
| Ohio | 55% | 17% | +38 |
| Oklahoma | 50% | 19% | +31 |
| Tennessee | 49% | 22% | +27 |
| Utah | 54% | 22% | +32 |
Why “net favorable” matters: Net favorability shows whether positive views outweigh negative ones, and by how much. A large positive net means favorable views are not only common, but they substantially outnumber unfavorable views. In Georgia, for example, the 40-point net reflects 55% favorable compared with just 15% unfavorable.
THE DEEPER FINDING
The surveys also asked whether parents, instead of government, should choose the best school for their child. Support was strikingly consistent: 80% in Georgia, 79% in Iowa, 79% in Ohio, 77% in Oklahoma, 78% in Tennessee, and 76% in Utah.
That distinction matters. Many voters are still learning about the new federal tax credit and how it works. Far more have a clear view of who should make decisions about a child’s education. The credit gives states a way to put that widely held principle into practice by expanding the resources families can use to find the right fit.
WHY IT MATTERS
- Participation has support where it has been tested. In Ohio, 63% supported the state opting into the federal tax credit, compared with 17% opposed. In Utah, 55% supported Governor Cox’s decision to opt in, compared with 24% opposed. State leaders in those two states have evidence that participation aligns with voters’ views.
- The case should start with families. The most compelling finding is not a tax provision. It is voters’ belief that parents should be able to choose the school that fits their child. Explaining how scholarships can help families act on that choice makes the policy concrete.
- There is room to grow. Roughly one-quarter to one-third of respondents did not express a favorable or unfavorable view of the credit. Knowing that families support the underlying values behind the tax credit means there is tremendous opportunity to expand support.
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Source: yes. every kid. foundation. surveys conducted in 2026. Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Tennessee surveyed likely voters; Utah surveyed registered voters.
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