BLOCS Congratulates Pennsylvania's Newly Elected Leaders and New Senate Majority, Offers Continued Support and Transparency to Protect and Grow Proven Scholarship Programs

With more than 43,000 students and thousands of donors relying on EITC and OSTC, BLOCS looks forward to working with the Governor, House and Senate to maintain and strengthen tax credit scholarship programs

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BLOCS, Pennsylvania's largest scholarship organization, today congratulated the Commonwealth's newly elected and re-elected leaders in the Governor's office, the House of Representatives and the Senate, including the incoming Senate majority, following the November 3 general election. BLOCS offered to continue to partner with all three to protect and grow the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC). As the sole administrator of the Economically Disadvantaged Schools (EDS) program), BLOCS awards additional assistance to students and families across the Commonwealth. BLOCS congratulates Governor Josh Shapiro on his re-election and looks forward to continuing its work with his administration.

“Congratulations to every leader Pennsylvanians chose on Election Day, and to the new Senate majority,” said Rob Delany, Chief Executive Officer of BLOCS. “These programs have never belonged to one party or one branch of government. They belong to the families who rely on them, and we are ready to continue to share what we see every day in our schools with the Governor, the House and the Senate.”

Support for these programs has long been a bipartisan success. The EITC program was created in 2001 as a $30 million program. Through budgets negotiated by governors and legislative majorities of both parties, the combined EITC and OSTC cap has grown to $680 million, up from $465 million at the start of the current gubernatorial term. The 2026-27 state budget, which kept both programs intact, passed the Senate 44-6 and the House 167-35.

The stakes are real. In the 2026-27 school year, BLOCS is awarding nearly $250 million in need-based scholarships to more than 43,000 students, made possible by corporate donors, thousands of individual donors, and more than 500 partner schools. Pennsylvania scholarship recipients, all with demonstrated need, reside in 65 of 67 counties. Families rely on these programs and employers appreciate the workforce development impact for businesses.

The Senate has long been a steady partner for these programs, and BLOCS looks forward to building a strong working relationship with the new majority and its leadership. Families plan for a school year a year at a time, and employers plan their giving the same way. Families and businesses have consistently relied on these programs to continue to strengthen the communities and the economy of Pennsylvania. BLOCS looks forward to continuing to work with the new Senate majority to protect and grow EITC and OSTC in the next budget.

Each State decides whether to opt-in and participate in the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, which requires a state election by January 1, 2027. Whether Pennsylvania opts in or not, Pennsylvanians can still claim the federal credit, but their gifts will fund scholarships for students in other states if Pennsylvania does follow suit with many of the other states in the union and opt into the program. BLOCS looks forward to working with the Governor over the next Legislative Session to continue to help our children and our economy thrive.

The House will be an equally important partner in the next budget. BLOCS congratulates the House majority and its leadership. Last session the House passed HB 2632, which would have restructured the existing successful programs. BLOCS shares the goals of transparency and of reaching the students with the greatest need. BLOCS welcomes the opportunity to work with House leaders and the Education Committee on ways to meet those goals while keeping scholarships and donor commitments in place.

“We are asking the Governor, the House and the Senate to continue to maintain and grow what is working and to help it reach more children,“ Delany said. “BLOCS will continue to be a constructive partner, with data and with the experience that comes with being the administrator of the Economically Disadvantaged Schools program. The families and businesses of Pennsylvania are counting on all of us to continue to get this right.”

BLOCS congratulates and looks forward to working with the Governor, the Senate and the House on behalf of Pennsylvania students and families.

About BLOCS

BLOCS is the leading scholarship organization dedicated to raising need-based scholarships through the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. As an independent charitable organization, BLOCS provides access to high-quality, value-based education for children ages Pre-K through 12th grade across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Through the generosity of its donors, BLOCS partners with over 500 schools to provide over 43,000 need-based scholarships. More can be found at www.blocs.org.