Broad Coalition Supports the Student Empowerment Act

Senator Cruz is introducing the Student Empowerment Act and requests your support to enhance 529 College Savings Plans to help public, private, religious, and homeschool students and families.

The Student Empowerment Act builds upon the successful passage of the Student Opportunity Amendment in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Pub.L. 115–97). The Student Empowerment Act will expand school choice by increasing the availability of the popular 529 Education Savings Plans to include not only K-12 elementary and secondary school tuition, but also eligible K-12 educational expenses for public,
private, and homeschool students.

The bill restores the original intention of the Student Opportunity Amendment, re-including homeschool families to ensure that all students are able to use 529 savings accounts to pay for their child’s elementary and secondary education.

The bill also further expands 529 Savings Accounts to cover K-12 educational expenses, to help public, private, and homeschool families afford the costs associated with elementary and secondary education. In addition to tuition, 529’s Savings Accounts could now be used to pay for school curriculum, books, tutoring, testing fees, and more. Students with disabilities would be able to use their 529 to pay for
educational therapies, which would help these disadvantaged students be able to afford to learn in a way that is customized for their needs.

More than 75% of 529 plans are from families making $150,000 or less, and the expansion of 529 plans to include K-12 expenses will help working class and middle-income families save and prepare their child for the future.

Supportive Groups

ALEC Action

FreedomWorks

Heritage Action for America

Americans for Tax Reform

Arizona School Choice Trust

Business Leadership Organized  for Catholic Schools

C.U.R.E.  (Center for Urban Renewal and Education)

California Catholic Conference

Campaign for Liberty

Children First Foundation

Children’s Scholarship Fund

Coalition for Jewish Values

Connecticut Catholic Conference

Educate. Advocate.

Florida Faith and Freedom Coalition

Invest in Education Coalition

Maryland – Council for American Private Education

Maryland Catholic Conference

Michigan Association of Nonpublic Schools

National Catholic Educational Association

New York State Catholic Conference

New Yorker’s Family Research Foundation

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina

Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids – Office of Catholic Schools

Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg, NY

South Carolina Catholic Conference

Texans for Education Opportunity

The Latino Coalition

Tradition, Family, Property, Inc.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

USA Workforce Coalition