The Invest in Kids Act which was placed into law on August 31, 2017, has continued to provide students at St. Teresa with additional scholarship support. The program which allows students to qualify for scholarship assistance to private schools as funds are available -- funds are provided through donations from individuals and corporations. 

$100 million per year in tax credits are available each year. Last school year, St. Teresa received a total net of $67,975 in scholarship funding to award. This provided awards to 10 students that met the financial requirements, the majority received 75-100% of the total costs to attend St. Teresa. 

So far this year, St. Teresa has received over $110,000 in donations to the program which has increased the scholarship awardees to 17. The growth from this program has allowed students who might not otherwise be able to attend St. Teresa, make it a possibility. However, an additional 48 students qualify for funding from the program, but scholarships can only be awarded based on total donations.

In addition to these specific scholarships funded by donors, St. Teresa awards nearly $250,000 in scholarship annually. The Invest in Kids Act allows St. Teresa to redistribute monies from the recipients above to other students that may need assistance - therefore the impact of the program goes beyond just the students that directly benefit from the scholarships. 

What does the process look like for a donor?

1. Donors must claim the tax credit from the state of Illinois. 
2. Donors make their gift through Empower Illinois - designating St. Teresa High School as the recipient.
3. Money is awarded to qualified students.
4. The donor receives 75% tax credit on their 2019 taxes, filed in 2020.