Giving

PA EITC / OSTC Tax Credit Programs

Exciting Opportunity

Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) / Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) Programs enable Pennsylvania businesses and individuals to direct their state taxes to Perelman to be used as essential scholarships for eligible students.

Pennsylvania’s Tax Credit Programs

The individual or business receives a tax credit for up to 90% of almost all Pennsylvania taxes (personal income tax, capital stock tax, corporate net income tax, bank share tax/mutual thrift tax, insurance premiums tax, title insurance and trust company shares tax).

These tax dollars translate into crucial scholarships enabling our school to open our doors to talented students with limited financial means.

Perelman Jewish Day School takes great pride in the diversity of our school community. Your participation in the EITC or OSTC tax credit program ensures that our school fulfills its mission; to provide students from all types of families and socio-economic backgrounds with a Jewish education. We urge you to apply.

For more information about participating in these transformative programs, please contact Shira Wohlberg at 610-658-2518 x218.

July 1 Application Deadline!

List of 5 frequently asked questions.

Q. How do I apply as an individual?

Those interested will need to form, or be a part of, a Special Purpose Entity (SPE) LLC through which their tax dollars will flow, and through which they will submit their application.

The PA Education Partnership entities have been established to facilitate the process for members of our community. The sole purpose of these LLCs is to serve as a pass-through for individuals’ tax dollars to the Jewish day school of their choice (in this case, Perelman!).

For those individual taxpayers who choose to join the PA Education Partnership entities, the application will be made on their behalf. In order to “join” this LLC, individuals will be asked to sign an Operating Agreement. The capital contribution, however, will not be made unless/until the LLC has been approved by the state.
Q. How do I qualify to join the PA Education Partnership entities?
- Individual income of $200,000+, OR
- Joint income (spouses combined income) of $300,000+
- Two-year commitment is required
- Minimum contribution of $6,200 in each of the 2 years
For those intending to participate with less than $6,200, we encourage you to create your own SPE LLC and participate in the EITC program. Please consult a professional to do so.
Q. Is my company/business eligible?
Any size company may qualify to become an EITC donor. The following are the types of businesses that qualify on their own and do not need to participate in a Special Purpose Entity:
- C-corps
- S-corps
- LLC’s corps
- Partnerships
July 1 Deadline Extremely Important

The State of Pennsylvania sets aside a limited amount of money in its budget for the EITC / OSTC program. There are more applications submitted each year than there is money available. Therefore, it is essential that applications be submitted on July 1. Do not submit before July 1 or your application will be denied.

All applications received on the first day of submission (July 1) are entered into a lottery and are selected randomly until all applications are numbered. The Commonwealth then awards tax credits in order of selection from the lottery until the credits are depleted. The remaining applications, in order of their random selection from the pool, are then put on a wait list. Wait list applicants will be notified as tax credits become available.
Q. How do I submit an application for my business?
Click here for more information from the PA Department of Community and Economic Development.
Click here for the online application.
Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to apply.
Click here for the Application Preparation Form.
Please submit an application for EITC - referred to as SO on the application. While OSTC funds are important, they are more limiting and can only be distributed to families that live in specific zip code areas typically beyond our catchment areas. We request that you remain on the EITC waitlist should your application not be approved in the first round.

Process Post-Lottery:
- The PA Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) will notify your business or new LLC as whether or not it had been chosen.
If Chosen:
- The business or new LLC submits their donation to the Foundation for Jewish Day Schools within 60 days.
- The Foundation sends an "acknowledgement of receipt" letter to the business or new LLC. It is at this point that you have the opportunity to designate your contribution to Perelman Jewish Day School.
- The business or new LLC forwards acknowledgement to PA DCED who passes along tax credit information to the Pennsylvania Dept. of Revenue.
- The business owners or LLC members pay reduced or no taxes, and may be eligible for a federal tax deduction.
Q. What about Pre-K EITC?

You will note that this “How To” sheet makes reference to other programs including Pre-K EITC. As Perelman's Pre-K program is new, the pool of students eligible for Pre-K EITC funding is small. Therefore we prefer that participants apply for K-12 EITC (also referred to as SO on the application) as this program gives Perelman the most flexibility in allocating scholarships to qualifying students. Please remain on the EITC waitlist should your application not be approved in the first round.