Mississippi backs parents with federal school-choice plan

Mississippi’s federal scholarship program starts in tax year 2027, and eligible donors can claim a dollar-for-dollar credit of up to $1,700.

President Donald Trump says his administration made the largest-ever investment in school choice, and Rapid Response 47 posted that claim on X on October 27, 2026. In the same post, Trump said Republican leadership had lifted Mississippi from the worst-ranked schools in the nation to among the best¹. For Mississippi families, the claim arrives as the state prepares to launch a federal scholarship program that its governor says will empower parents².

“Mississippi believes that parents – not government – know what’s best for their children’s education”

Tate Reeves

The post links to video of the President's remarks¹.

The investment Trump points to is already law, and Mississippi has signed on. Governor Tate Reeves opted Mississippi into the Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program on January 19, 2026. Congress created the program in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025². Section 70411 sets out the credit for contributions to scholarship granting organizations.

Taxpayers who donate to an approved Scholarship Granting Organization get a dollar-for-dollar federal credit of up to $1,700. Reeves' office says that lets donors support students at no cost to themselves. The money must fund scholarships for Mississippi K–12 students whose family income is below 300 percent of area median income². The White House calls it the first-ever nationwide school choice program, covering tuition, books and other costs at private and public schools. It says nearly 52 million students are eligible and more than 30 states have opted in or signaled they will. The administration also counts $500 million through the Charter Schools Program as the largest charter school investment in history³.

On Mississippi's classrooms, the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book ranks the state 16th in Education. That record sets Mississippi apart from a broad national decline in education measures. The report credits Mississippi's Literacy-Based Promotion Act, which focuses on reading proficiency by third grade⁴. Reeves' office says it will designate eligible scholarship organizations in the coming months².

Parents, not government, should direct a child's education, and Mississippi's opt-in puts that principle into practice. Reeves put it plainly: "Mississippi believes that parents – not government – know what’s best for their children’s education." Every state that has not yet opted in should follow Mississippi. The program opens in federal tax year 2027².

Mississippi backs parents with federal school-choice plan

Sources