Greater Cincinnati's Certified SGOs for 2026, and What the 2027 Federal Credit Adds

TL;DR: Ten scholarship granting organizations based in Greater Cincinnati hold 2026 certification from the Ohio Attorney General, most of them linked to Catholic schools. Donors get up to $750 off Ohio income tax ($1,500 joint), and from January 1, 2027 a separate federal credit of up to $1,700 applies in participating states, Ohio included. Families do not apply to the state for this money; they apply through the school or the SGO.

Which scholarship granting organizations in the Cincinnati area are certified for 2026?

The Attorney General's certification list shows these ten with 2026 certification dates and addresses in our four counties. We list them as the state does, with no ranking.

One more, 3Rivers Scholarship Granting Organization in North Bend, was last certified in December 2025. Statewide SGOs serve local schools too; Rockwern Academy, for example, sends donors to the Ohio Association of Independent Schools SGO with the gift designated for Rockwern.

How does the Ohio SGO tax credit work for a Cincinnati donor?

A donor who gives to a certified SGO takes a dollar-for-dollar credit against Ohio income tax of up to $750, or $1,500 on a joint return. The credit is nonrefundable, so it can bring tax owed to zero but not below. A gift made by April 15 can be claimed on the previous year's return, which is why spring is SGO season; some schools ask for checks earlier so they arrive in time.

For a grandparent in Anderson Township or a parishioner in Green Township, that means a $750 gift to a school's SGO can cost almost nothing after taxes, as long as they owe at least that much in Ohio tax.

What does the 2027 federal scholarship credit add?

A second, separate credit. Ohio is on the IRS list of participating states announced in June 2026, and gifts to a qualifying SGO made on or after January 1, 2027 can earn a federal credit of up to $1,700 per taxpayer. Scholarships funded this way are aimed at households at or below 300% of area median income. As of late October 2026 we had not found a published list of Ohio SGOs approved for the federal program, so which of the ten above will qualify is still unknown.

Donors should not assume they can claim both credits on the same dollars; under the federal law a state credit for the same gift reduces the federal one. A tax adviser can sort out the best split.

SGO scholarship vs EdChoice: what an SGO is not

An SGO is not a state voucher. It does not file through DEW, its award is not set by a formula, and it does not depend on an Ohio charter in the same way; Mars Hill SGO is certified even though Mars Hill Academy in Mason appears on DEW's non-chartered list. Many local SGOs serve a single school, so a Seton Cincinnati SGO award, for example, is meant for Seton families. Ohio law requires SGOs to prioritize lower-income students, but each sets its own application.

When should a Cincinnati donor give, and to which SGO?

Timing depends on which tax year you want the credit for. A gift to a certified Ohio SGO made by December 31, 2026 counts on the 2026 Ohio return, and the April 15 look-back means a gift made in early 2027 can still count for 2026. Gifts from January 1, 2027 onward are the first that can count toward the new federal credit, once the SGO is approved for it.

As for which SGO, most donors give where they already have a connection: the parish school their children attended, a high school their family has supported for generations, or a fund such as CISE-SGO that serves Catholic schools in the city's lowest-income neighborhoods. Because many SGOs are tied to one school, the gift generally stays with that school's families. A donor who wants the credit but has no school tie can give to a broader fund such as the Catholic Education Foundation, which supports need-based grants across archdiocesan elementary schools.

How does a family actually receive SGO money?

Usually through the school's financial aid process. Ask the business office three things: which SGO backs its aid, whether that SGO uses a separate application, and how it combines SGO money with EdChoice and the school's own grants. At archdiocesan grade schools, the Catholic Education Foundation's need-based grants for preschool through 8th grade run through FACTS Grant and Aid. CISE serves families at 11 inner-city Catholic schools and helps their graduates continue at Catholic high schools.

Northern Kentucky families should note that Kentucky's legislature opted that state into the federal credit over the governor's veto in March 2026. That may fund Kentucky SGOs, but it does not open Ohio's EdChoice to Kentucky residents. Our Kentucky families guide covers the details, and the tax-credit timeline lays out the dates.

Frequently asked questions

Which scholarship granting organizations in the Cincinnati area are certified for 2026?

The Attorney General's certification list shows these ten with 2026 certification dates and addresses in our four counties.

How does the Ohio SGO tax credit work for a Cincinnati donor?

A donor who gives to a certified SGO takes a dollar-for-dollar credit against Ohio income tax of up to $750, or $1,500 on a joint return.

What does the 2027 federal scholarship credit add?

A second, separate credit.

How does a family actually receive SGO money?

Usually through the school's financial aid process.

Related questions

• Ohio SGO scholarships in detail
• The federal scholarship credit
• Catholic Education Foundation and CISE
• Building a full funding stack

Sources

• Ohio Attorney General: Scholarship Granting Organization certification list
• Rockwern Academy: Ohio SGO tax credit
• Ohio Society of CPAs: IRS announces state participation in Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (June 12, 2026)
• Catholic Education Foundation for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, 2026-27 grant flyer
• Archdiocese of Cincinnati: CISE
• WUKY: Kentucky set to adopt federal education tax credit option (July 23, 2026)

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