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What is the Arete Scholars Fund Program?
Arete Scholars Fund is an initiative of the Georgia Tuition Tax Credit Scholarship Program. Although not required by state law, Arete provides K4-12 education scholarships solely for qualifying low-income students. The scholarships give parents whose choices are otherwise limited the opportunity to select the K4-12 private school that best meets their children’s needs. The scholarships pay up to $5,800 for private school tuition and fees.
You may qualify for a scholarship if:
• Your child is entering K4, K5 or 1st grade, OR
• Your child attended a Georgia public school during at least the last full grading period, OR
• Your child received a tax credit scholarship in the previous year, AND
• Your household income meets the following income guidelines:
| Scholarship % |
100% |
75% |
50% |
| Scholarship $ |
$5,800 |
$4,350 |
$2,900 |
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|
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| Number in |
Gross Annual |
Gross Annual |
Gross Annual |
| Household |
Income |
Income |
Income |
| |
|
|
|
| 2 |
$ 27,214 |
$ 31,627 |
$ 36,040 |
| 3 |
$ 34,281 |
$ 39,840 |
$ 45,399 |
| 4 |
$ 41,348 |
$ 48,053 |
$ 54,758 |
| 5 |
$ 48,415 |
$ 56,266 |
$ 64,117 |
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|
|
|
| Each addl |
$ 7,067 |
$ 8,213 |
$ 9,359 |
Click here for more information about Arete Scholarship 
 Click here for more information on Georgia tax base scholarships
Mission of Joshua Student Scholarship Organization
Joshua Student Scholarship Organization’s mission is to partner with parents and Christian schools by providing funding to equip children with a Kingdom quality education. Funding to accomplish this mission will be raised by following the regulations provided in Georgia HB 325.
Regulations of Georgia HB 325:
- Taxpayers in the State of Georgia will receive a tax credit on their state income tax for donations made to an approved student scholarship organization in the state of Georgia. This means that taxpayers in the State of Georgia can use money they would pay in state income taxes to provide student scholarships to accredited private schools in Georgia.
- $50 million is the maximum amount of Tax Credits that will be approved by the state each calendar year.
- Tax Credits are allocated on a first come first served basis.
- Single individual or head of household--$1,000 or actual amount donated, whichever is less.
- Married filing separate return--$1,250 or actual amount donated, whichever is less.
- Married couple filing joint return--$2,500 or actual amount donated, whichever is less.
- 75 percent of corporation’s income tax liability or actual amount donated, whichever is less.
- Donations to Joshua Student Scholarship Organization are eligible for a Georgia State Tax Credit and a charitable contribution deduction on Federal Tax Return.
- Taxpayers must add back to Georgia taxable income that part of any federal charitable contribution deduction taken on a federal return for which a Georgia Qualified Education Expense Credit is allowed.
The Steps to Donate:
- Donor notifies Georgia Department of Revenue of the total amount he/she intends to donate to the Joshua Student Scholarship Organization and requests pre-approval of the credit using Form IT-QEE-TP1.
- Within 30 days the Georgia Department of Revenue pre-approves, denies, or reduces the requested amount based and notifies the taxpayer of the decision.
- Donor must make the contribution to Joshua Student Scholarship Organization within 60 days of the date printed on Georgia Department of Revenue’s approval notice. All donations must also be made to the SSO prior to the end of the calendar year in which the donation was pre-approved. If you want your donation to go to a particular school, please notify us by including the name of the school with your donation.
- Joshua Student Scholarship Organization provides a letter to the donor confirming the dollar amount of the donor’s contribution using Form IT-QEE-SSO1. The law requires the donor to file this letter and form with their tax return.
- Electronic filing is available for taxpayers claiming this credit. Individual taxpayers that electronically file their tax return do not have to submit Form IT-QEE-SSO1. Form IT-QEE-SSO1 shall be maintained by the taxpayer and made available upon request by the Commissioner.
- If the donor has any questions about the donation, process please contact Scott Smith, the executive director of Joshua SSO, at 678-347-5822.
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