YOUR CHILD COULD QUALIFY FOR A
PRIVATE SCHOOL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP!
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Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska provides more access to a high-quality education that meets the unique needs of every child in Nebraska.
In 2023, the Nebraska State Legislature passed The Opportunity Scholarships Act (LB753), which is a scholarship tax credit program.
Taxpayers can contribute to Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska, a state-approved scholarship granting organization, which then will use those dollars to provide scholarships to eligible students. This transformative program enables students from lower-income families, students with special needs, students who experience bullying, students from military families, students in foster care, and students who are denied option enrollment by public schools to access scholarships to attend the private school of their choice.
The Opportunity Scholarships Act gives priority to children from the lowest-income families first, along with the qualifiers above, giving final priority to families making less than 300% of the federal Free and Reduced Lunch rate.
Fill out this form to see if your child could qualify to receive a private school scholarship!
Eligibility is determined by a number of different factors, so fill out the entire survey to ensure the best estimation of your child’s eligibility.
This is not an official scholarship application. When scholarship applications are available, we will reach out to you and invite you to apply.
*For free and reduced meal income guidelines, click here.
JAYLEESHA COOPER, STUDENT
“Without school choice, I wouldn’t be where I am now.
My mom worked multiple jobs while going to college so that I could go to a private school. I was eventually able to attend Holy Name Catholic School. From there, I was able to go to Duchesne Academy, which prepared me to attend one of the top 10 universities in the United States. I would not have been able to do that without the hard work my mom put in and the generosity of private donors.
But sometimes it’s not possible for parents to work that many jobs or for students to be lucky enough to receive a limited scholarship. Kids need a backup option where they can get funds to be able to have a chance to better their education and go to the school that’s right for them.”
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is LB753, the Opportunity Scholarships Act?
The Opportunity Scholarships Act provides education freedom to many Nebraska families who can't afford the best school setting for their children. The program would give priority to students in families at 100% poverty level, as well as, students with “exceptional needs”, who have experienced bullying, in the foster system, in military families, or have been denied option enrollment by public schools.
LB753 allows tax credits to incentivize contributions to scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) like Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska (OSN). The program provides a 100% state income tax credit for contributions to SGOs. Contributions are capped at 50% of an individual or business’s state tax liability. Contributions are also capped at $100,000 for individuals and businesses and $1 million for wills and trusts. Contributions are made to SGOs, which then award scholarships to eligible children.
How do I find out if my family qualifies for a scholarship?
Official applications for scholarships are not yet available, but you can fill out our eligibility form above to see if you are likely to qualify. Once applications are available, we will reach out to you and invite you to apply.
Who supports Opportunity Scholarships?
For decades, parent advocates have been fighting for educational freedom and a school choice program in Nebraska. The Opportunity Scholarships Act, introduced by Senator Lou Ann Linehan on behalf of Governor Jim Pillen, was supported by a super majority of state senators in the Nebraska Legislature across party lines.
School choice programs are growing in popularity across the country, now offering hundreds of thousands of students educational freedom and hope for the future.
When will Opportunity Scholarships be available?
LB573 goes into effect in January 2024. In January, Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska can begin accepting contributions which will be used for scholarship funds to be distributed for the 2024-2025 school year.
As a parent, where do I start?
Connect with your nonpublic school of choice about enrollment and to ask if they are partnering with Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska. You, the school, and OSN will work together to finalize the application process. Fill out the survey above to ensure OSN can contact you when it’s time to begin the process.
Please feel free to contact us at info@nebraskaopportunity.org or call or text 402.205.7047 with any questions!