Even Kathy Hochul Opted In. Every Governor Should Join Trump's Federal School Choice Tax Credit
New York became the 31st state to join the new federal scholarship tax credit on Oct. 9, over the objections of teachers unions and Albany's Democratic leaders. In our view, Hochul put students first, and the remaining holdouts should follow.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 11, 2026 | 6-min read When a Democratic governor of New York, facing opposition from her own legislative leaders and the state's most powerful teachers union, signs on to a Trump education program, something important has shifted. On Friday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that New York will opt into the new federal scholarship tax credit created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act [1][2]. "I'm not going to leave money on the table when it could help our kids," she said [1]. In our view, she made the right call, and every governor who is still on the fence should follow. Key Takeaways Starting Jan. 1, 2027, individuals can donate up to $1,700 a year to a scholarship-granting organization and receive a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit, Chalkbeat reports [2]. New York joins 30 other states that have opted in, according to an IRS tracker cited by Chalkbeat; Hochul is the second Democratic governor to opt in voluntarily, after Colorado's Jared Polis [2]. Families earning up to 300% of area median income qualify, and money can go to private school tuition or services such as tutoring