This Independence Day weekend, American families had increasing reason to celebrate as education freedom is poised to span from the Pacific to the Atlantic, with the possibility of bringing school choice to children in all 50 states for the first time in our nation’s history.
The passage of the federal reconciliation bill, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” includes a modified version of the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA), a tax-credit provision providing education scholarships for children across the country from households under 300 percent of the median income of the geographical area, beginning in 2027.
Individual taxpayers can contribute to nonprofit scholarship-granting organizations and receive a 100 percent nonrefundable tax credit of up to $1,700 annually. There is no annual volume cap, and the tax code does not sunset over time. The scholarship funds can be used for a variety of educational expenses, including private school tuition, tutoring, services for students with special needs, educational technology, books, transportation, and extended-day programs.
The House passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included the modified ECCA, on May 22 by a vote of 215-214, with one member voting “present.”
Further modifications were made in the Senate. Then the unexpected — and inconceivable to all working on this effort — happened in the twelfth hour when the Senate parliamentarian advised on June 27 that the federal school choice effort violated the Byrd Rule. In other words, the tax credit was deemed “extraneous” to the federal tax reconciliation bill.
Sen. Ted Cruz, however, took to the Senate floor in the early morning hours on July 1 to rally the troops, ensuring that work was done to resurrect the provision by modifying it once again. This time, senators amended the provision to “allow states to decide whether to participate,” which was an unfortunate but necessary concession given Republican senators’ unwillingness to overrule the objection from the Senate parliamentarian.
Cruz declared, “There are many important elements to the One Big Beautiful Bill, but none over time is likely to have as big of an impact as this specific provision that the Democrats are trying to strike tonight.” He added that “school choice is the civil rights issue of the 21st century. Every child, regardless of race or wealth or ethnicity, deserves access to an excellent education. This tax credit provision will unleash billions of dollars every single year for scholarships for kids to attend the K-12 school of their choice.”
Later that day, the Senate sent the One Big Beautiful Bill back to the House by a margin of 51-50, with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the tiebreaking vote.
The members of the House approved the legislation by a 218-214 vote on July 3. On Independence Day, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law, and within it, the largest school choice program in our nation’s history.
President Trump continues to deliver on his promises made to the American people, and school choice is no exception. He took swift action in January, just nine days after taking office, to sign the Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunities for Families executive order.
Since Trump’s return to the Oval Office, six states — Tennessee, Idaho, Wyoming, Texas, Indiana, and New Hampshire — have joined the universal school choice ranks. As Jason Bedrick notes, this brings the total to 17 states with “publicly funded universal-eligibility education choice.” Trump played a key role in these victories for families by urging lawmakers in states like Idaho and Wyoming to advance universal school choice. Additionally, Trump called Gov. Greg Abbott and House GOP Caucus members to express his support for advancing school choice in Texas as it prepared for its most important vote.
Trump has also tasked the secretary of defense with reviewing “any available mechanisms under which military-connected families may use funds from the Department of Defense to attend schools of their choice, including private, faith-based, or public charter schools.” Similarly, the secretary of the interior has been charged with the same task, but as it relates to children eligible for Bureau of Indian Education Schools.
Furthermore, the Trump administration has directed that students attending a persistently unsafe school or a failing school be granted an alternative education option.
Education freedom is no longer just an idea — it’s becoming a life-changing reality for millions of children across America, thanks to numerous historic legislative victories. These bold reforms are unlocking opportunity, empowering families, and transforming the future of entire communities. The positive effects will be nothing short of revolutionary.
This year, as we reflect on the birth of our nation, Americans have a powerful new reason to celebrate freedom — the dawn of a new chapter marked by the rise of educational freedom.
Dr. Keri D. Ingraham is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute, Director of the American Center for Transforming Education, and a Senior Fellow at Independent Women’s Forum.
