Will NC Families Get Access to Trump’s New School Choice Program?

With President Donald Trump’s education agenda advancing nationally, North Carolina Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger has introduced legislation that would allow the state to opt into a federal school choice initiative made possible by the recently signed “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

The legislation would position North Carolina as one of the first states to participate in a new program that offers a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for contributions made to scholarship-granting organizations. These organizations provide financial assistance to families seeking private education options for their children—an approach aimed at expanding educational opportunity regardless of income or zip code.

Berger’s proposal aligns North Carolina with the goals of the federal law, which was passed earlier this month and hailed by school choice advocates as a historic win for American families. According to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, the bill “expands education freedom, creating new school choice credits that allow students to access the best education, regardless of socioeconomic background.” It also expands 529 education savings accounts and boosts child care assistance.

“By making school choice and child care more accessible and affordable, hardworking families will have options to find the school that is the best fit for their children,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) following the bill’s passage.

Back in North Carolina, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) applauded Berger’s leadership and warned against political obstruction from Democratic Governor Roy Stein, who holds the authority to block the state from opting in to the federal program.

“North Carolinians have been fighting for universal school choice for more than a decade, and the tax credits highlighted in Sen. Berger’s bill create another option for families across the state,” said Tyler Voigt, AFP-North Carolina State Director.

“Governor Stein’s reckless, politically charged vetoes are no way to govern, and this is an issue for the legislative body,” Voigt continued. “Stein should not prevent North Carolina families and students from receiving this funding, especially since there is no fiscal impact on the state. We urge Governor Stein to step aside and not block this critical funding from North Carolina’s students.”

The One Big Beautiful Bill received strong support from national school choice groups, including the American Federation for Children and the Invest in Education Coalition. On July 1, Tommy Schultz, CEO of the American Federation for Children, said the legislation represented a “monumental step” toward delivering school choice to every state in the nation.

“Today’s vote marks a monumental step toward that goal for the first time in history … We are eager to see President Trump sign school choice into law,” Schultz said.

The Invest in Education Coalition echoed the sentiment in a statement released July 3: “This is a huge victory for American families that have been praying and hoping for a financial lifeline to provide their children with the education they need to thrive.”

As Berger’s bill now heads into consideration at the state level, the spotlight turns to Governor Stein. With strong grassroots momentum and national backing, supporters believe North Carolina could quickly become a model for education freedom—if politics don’t stand in the way.

Should the state move forward, North Carolina families would gain access to a powerful new federal tool designed to make private education more affordable, flexible, and accessible. For thousands of parents across the state, it could represent the beginning of real choice—and real change.