Find answers to common questions about participating in the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC) Program, including Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs), eligible educational expenses, and school responsibilities.
Which SGOs Is Odyssey Partnering With?
Odyssey is partnering with the following Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) to help expand access to educational opportunities for families:
Opportunity Fund for Jewish Education
BLUUM
Iowa SGO
Seton Fund
Newfound Scholarship Fund
American Catholic Education Fund
Will Odyssey Host Informational Sessions or Webinars?
Yes! Odyssey will host informational webinars ahead of each program launch to help schools and families feel informed and prepared.
We'll share additional details about webinar dates, registration, and topics as we get closer to launch.
What Can Scholarship Funds Be Used For?
The regulations are still being finalized. However, the proposed regulations outline that scholarship funds can be used to cover qualified educational expenses for eligible students, including:
Tuition
Fees
Room and board
Other eligible K–12 education-related costs
⚠️Important: These expenses are based on proposed regulations and are not a final list of approved expenses. More information about eligible and ineligible expenses will be shared as the regulations are finalized.
Can My School Partner With Multiple SGOs?
Yes! Your school can partner with multiple SGOs. However, certain restrictions may apply to how scholarship funds are used across different organizations.
⚠️Important: The same educational expense cannot be paid or reimbursed more than once.
For more information, see the section above, What Can Scholarship Funds Be Used For?
Can My School Accept Scholarship Funds From Multiple SGOs?
Yes! Federal FSTC rules allow eligible students to receive scholarship funds from multiple Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs).
However, individual SGOs may have their own policies, restrictions, or coordination requirements.
We recommend checking with each SGO your school partners with to understand its specific guidelines and make sure scholarship payments are coordinated appropriately.
⚠️Important: The same educational expense cannot be paid or reimbursed more than once.
Are There Reporting Requirements for Participating Schools?
Participating schools may need to provide information to their SGO to verify scholarship expenses and ensure funds are being used appropriately.
Your school should be prepared to:
Maintain accurate student and tuition records: Keep records that help verify the costs associated with each scholarship recipient.
Confirm eligible expenses: Provide information to the SGO as needed to verify tuition, fees, and other qualified school-related expenses.
Account for scholarship payments: Make sure payments are applied to the appropriate student's educational costs.
Return excess or incorrect payments: If your school receives more than the student's actual costs or receives a payment in error, those funds must be returned to the SGO.
Your SGO will communicate any additional documentation or information your school may need to provide.
You can also contact your affiliated SGO for more information.
Does My School Need to Be a Nonprofit?
No. A school does not have to be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to participate in an FSTC program.
Public, private, charter, and religious schools may qualify, provided they meet the applicable state requirements for elementary or secondary schools (K–12).
However, schools must meet the applicable program requirements to receive scholarship funds through an approved SGO.
The nonprofit requirement applies to the SGO, which must be a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity.
Not sure if your school qualifies? We recommend confirming eligibility with your SGO.