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I’ve been thinking about scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) and wishing I could pull a few admission and financial aid colleagues into a room to compare our notes.

With the federal scholarship tax credit beginning in January 2027 in participating states, there is plenty to learn. But beyond understanding the rules and regulations, I’m wondering how this opportunity will shape the conversations happening in our schools.

For those of us already working with state SGO programs, there are experiences to draw from. Still, experience with one SGO program doesn’t answer every question about the other.

And I keep returning to a few pressing questions: Can we use SGO funding to expand access and make the greatest difference for families? How do we build SGO funding into our financial aid plans when we don’t yet know how much we can count on each year?

I’m wondering how these additional resources might change the financial aid decisions we make. Could SGO funding help us reach families we haven’t been able to support, offer more meaningful awards, or sustain our commitments to current students? How are we deciding where these dollars can make the greatest difference?

I’m also wondering how we are bringing our own colleagues into the conversation. Admission, financial aid, advancement, and business offices may approach SGOs with different questions and priorities. Who is bringing everyone together? How are we discussing donor outreach, scholarship timing, and the relationship between these funds and our existing financial aid commitments?

And when we talk about the potential impact, what will w

e measure? Dollars raised will certainly matter. So will whether more families can realistically consider our schools and remain enrolled once they arrive.

I definitely don’t have a finished policy or playbook. I’m guessing many of us will be building one while continuing to do the work we already do. So I’d love to compare notes: What is your school thinking about, what have you learned, and what question do you wish you could put to a room full of colleagues?

Christina Townsend Hartz  

Director of Enrollment & Financial Aid (Junior K-12)

University School
AISAP Board of Directors