You have the potential to give an Ohio student a life-giving opportunity to attend a high-quality Christian school that otherwise might be unaffordable to his or her family. Even better, you can do it at no cost to yourself.
The state of Ohio’s Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) tax credit authorizes donors who contribute to K-12 student scholarships through a certified SGO to receive a dollar-for-dollar reduction in their state taxes up to $750 per individual taxpayer. Your gift to the Ohio Christian Education Network SGO (OCEN SGO) will go directly to a scholarship for a student attending a participating school of your choice.
Your gift to OCEN SGO will be used to award scholarships to worthy students attending participating schools within the Ohio Christian Education Network. Simply click on the way you’d like donate button options below. You may designate which school you would like to receive the scholarship and you can be certain your gift will fund a scholarship at that school with priority given to students in financial need.
FAQs
What if I would like to give more than $750?
You may do so! In that case, the first $750 will be granted a $750 state tax credit, and the amount of the gift beyond the initial $750 may be claimed as a federal and state tax deduction. Consult with your tax specialist to review your specific tax situation. In the meantime, find more information here.
How does the tax credit work?
Your OCEN SGO donation can be claimed when you file your Ohio taxes. Gifts made through April 15th can be retroactively applied to the previous year’s taxes. The credit is a dollar-to-dollar reduction in your state tax liability up to $750 per taxpayer. A married couple filing jointly can claim a credit of up to $1500. To receive the full tax credit, you must have an Ohio tax liability equal to or greater than the amount of the credit.
When do recipients receive their scholarships?
OCEN will announce award recipients on April 10th for the firs application window and July 15th for the second. These scholarships are applied to the 2024-2025 school year. These awards will go to the students’ accounts at their schools by the beginning of the fall term.
When is the donation deadline?
OCEN will accept donations year-round.
May I designate my gift to fund scholarships at a specific school?
Yes, you may select at which participating school(s) you would like your gift to fund a scholarship. If you do not have a preference, simply leave the drop-down box empty and your gift will go into the unrestricted fund to provide scholarships to worthy students at any of our participating schools.
Can my spouse and I receive separate tax credits if we joint file our taxes?
Yes. The tax credit is on a per-individual taxpayer basis. Married couples can receive two separate $750-deductions, totaling $1,500. To receive the maximum credit, spouses must list both of their names on the donation form so that a gift over $750 can be split between them.
Is OCEN SGO certified by the state of Ohio as an approved SGO?
Yes, OCEN SGO is certified by the Ohio Attorney General. You may view the list of certified SGOs here.
How much do I owe in state tax?
Anyone whose taxable income is over $44,250 owes a minimum of $878.42 in state tax. A $750 donation to an SGO would reduce this amount to $128.42. That means $750 of tax money to a scholarship to help a student receive a quality Christian education and $128.42 remains for the state. You can use the chart below from Ohio Department of Taxation to determine your tax liability if you know your Ohio Taxable Income amount.
Taxable state income can be found on page 2 of your state income tax return (Ohio IT 1040) line 13.
For taxable years beginning in 2021:
| Ohio Taxable Income | Tax Calculation |
| $0-$25,000 | 0.000% |
| $25,001 – $44,250 | $346.16 + 2.765% of excess over $25,000 |
| $44,250 – $ 88,450 | $878.42 + 3.226% of excess over $44,250 |
| $88,450 – $110,650 | $2,304.31 + 3.688 % of excess over $88,450 |
| more than $110,650 | $3,123.05 + 3.990 of excess over $110,650 |
The Ohio Legislature has recently condensed Ohio tax brackets into two. Couples with combined salaries over $54,000 should qualify for $1500 in tax liability.