PHX Reporter

Catholic Education Arizona has announced that Arizona taxpayers are able to redirect their state tax liability to a certified School Tuition Organization to help fund K-12 tuition scholarships that are used by underserved communities. 

Arizona taxpayers can choose to send their funds to Catholic Education Arizona, because it is a certified School Tuition organization, and the funds are then used exclusively to fund scholarships for students to attend schools within the Diocese of Phoenix Catholic school system. 

There is no increase in tax payment by doing so. Arizona’s Private Education Tax Credit was passed in 1997, which allows individuals to direct their tax payments instead of having no say. "We are fortunate to have robust school choice legislation in Arizona,” Catholic Education Arizona CEO Nancy Padberg said. “Our student's graduation and matriculation rates are both near 100%. In addition to impacting student's lives academically, spiritually, artistically, and athletically, we are strengthening families and building our future workforce." 

Catholic Education Arizona is a nonprofit organization that awards scholarships to K-12 students. Since it was founded in 1998, they have provided “153,000 scholarships totaling in excess of $338 million dollars to students in need of tuition assistance to attend one of 38 schools in the Diocese of Phoenix.”