How do Georgia tax-credit scholarships work for an Atlanta family?
Families apply to a Student Scholarship Organization, not to the state. Georgia's Qualified Education Expense credit lets individuals and businesses that the Department of Revenue preapproves give to an SSO and take a state tax credit, and the SSO spends at least 90 percent of those donations on scholarships for the parents' chosen schools.
Each SSO writes its own application and need rules, and many ask you to name a school. GaDOE's FAQ is blunt: the department doesn't track how many scholarships SSOs issue, and the SSO decides whether your school meets the law.
Who is eligible for an SSO scholarship in Georgia?
A student qualifies by attending a Georgia public school for at least six weeks immediately before the scholarship, or by being eligible for pre-K, kindergarten or first grade. The six-week rule is waived for students zoned to a low-performing public school, for students with documented school-based violence or threats, and for students who spent the prior year in home study.
Once eligible, a student stays eligible until graduation, age 20, or a return to public school. The school must be accredited or working toward accreditation and must follow the Civil Rights Act.
Which SSOs serve Atlanta-area schools?
GaDOE's list updated September 14, 2026 names 28 approved SSOs, and 16 of them give mailing addresses in Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb or Gwinnett. They include GOAL Scholarship Program in Peachtree Corners, Apogee Georgia School Choice Scholarship Fund near the Cumberland area, GRACE Scholars in Smyrna, Arete Scholars Fund in Dacula and the Georgia Tax Credit Scholarship Program in Midtown.
GRACE Scholars lists 19 Archdiocese of Atlanta schools among its affiliated schools. By law no SSO may limit its awards to a single school.
Why do SSO scholarship dollars run out so early in Georgia?
Demand from donors exceeds the $120 million yearly cap, so the credit is claimed almost immediately. The Department of Revenue's 2026 cap page shows the full $120 million preapproved, with nothing left as of January 3, 2026.
For families, that means SSOs know their budgets early in the calendar year and many award for the next school year in winter and spring. Ask an SSO for its timeline in January rather than in August.
Can an SSO scholarship be combined with Promise or GSNS?
Not with Promise: the Promise Scholarship Act excludes students who are receiving an SSO scholarship. If your child qualifies for both, compare the $6,500 Promise account with the SSO award you're offered and with any school aid that comes with each.
Ask the SSO how it treats a GSNS award before you accept either; we don't publish a rule we couldn't confirm.
| What it is | What it isn't |
|---|---|
| A tuition scholarship from a private nonprofit SSO | A state program with one application |
| Funded by donors who receive a Georgia tax credit | Unlimited: the statewide cap is $120 million a year |
| Usable at accredited or accrediting private schools | Available alongside a Promise account |