Technology partnership will help families and schools participate in the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program
DAVENPORT, Iowa, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Iowa Scholarship Granting Organization (ISGO) today announced a partnership with Odyssey, a leading technology company that makes educational choice programs easier to access and scale, to help administer Iowa's new Education Freedom Tax Credit program.
Established by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the newly established Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC) gives eligible taxpayers the opportunity to donate to qualified Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) in exchange for a federal tax credit worth up to $1,700. The credit takes effect January 1, 2027, and Governor Kim Reynolds has already opted Iowa into the program. These donations fund scholarships that expand families' access to educational options, including tuition at nonpublic schools and other qualifying educational costs for students.
ISGO was formed by Iowa's School Tuition Organizations (STOs), which have served Iowa families for more than 20 years. The new organization will bring that same Iowa-centered approach to the new federal program. ISGO will keep resources focused on Iowa schools, Iowa families, and Iowa students, partnering with existing STOs to assist donors, families, applicants, private schools, and charter schools across the state, rather than sending Iowa program dollars out of state.
Through this partnership, ISGO will lead donor engagement, scholarship administration, compliance, and fundraising support, helping families across Iowa participate successfully in the new federal opportunity.
"We are excited to work with Odyssey, which has a proven track record of successfully implementing school choice programs in Iowa and across the country," said Trish Wilger, Executive Director for the Iowa Alliance for Choice in Education, "This partnership will provide Iowa families with a simple, secure way to apply for the financial support they need to access the education they want for their children."
Odyssey will provide the secure technology platform that powers the EFTC program. The platform will enable taxpayers to make contributions, support scholarship applications and eligibility verification, facilitate scholarship distribution, and provide the transparency, security, and accountability needed to administer the program efficiently at scale.
Together, ISGO and Odyssey will provide schools with a comprehensive solution that combines mission-driven, Iowa-based leadership with proven technology, making it easier for communities across Iowa to participate in the Education Freedom Tax Credit program and expand educational opportunities for more families.
"The Education Freedom Tax Credit represents one of the most significant opportunities in decades to expand educational choice for families," said Joe Connor, Odyssey Founder and CEO. "Iowa has already shown what is possible when families have greater access to educational options. Odyssey has powered Iowa's state ESA program for years, and partnering with Iowa's STOs to build ISGO will allow us to bring that same trusted, Iowa-centered approach to the federal program, helping serve even more Iowa families, schools, and providers."
About the Iowa Scholarship Granting Organization
The Iowa Scholarship Granting Organization (ISGO) was created by Iowa's Scholarship Tuition Organizations to serve Iowa school communities through the new federal Scholarship Tax Credit program. Building on more than 20 years of Iowa STOs serving families across the state, ISGO keeps program resources focused in Iowa, helping donors, families, applicants, private schools, and charter schools participate in the Education Freedom Tax Credit.
Learn more: Announcing Iowa's Scholarship Granting Organization - https://www.iowaace.org/iowa-scholarship-granting-organization/
About Odyssey
Odyssey is the nation's leading technology platform for education choice, partnering with government agencies and scholarship granting organizations to expand access to high-quality educational opportunities for families. Odyssey's secure platform powers the full lifecycle of school choice programs, from application and eligibility verification to funding distribution, compliance, payments, and program administration. Today, Odyssey administers some of the largest education choice programs in the country, helping more than 250,000 students annually access over $2 billion in educational funding and setting the standard for secure and efficient program administration.
SOURCE Odyssey
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