The Orthodox Union and Teach Coalition are joining with leading Jewish organizations across the country to launch The Opportunity Fund for Jewish Education, a new national effort aimed at bringing potentially significant new scholarship dollars to Jewish day schools and yeshivas.

The fund is being established by the Orthodox Union and Teach Coalition together with Jewish Federations of North America and Prizmah, with founding endorsements from Torah Umesorah, Agudath Israel of America and the Rabbinical Assembly.

Its creation comes ahead of the Jan. 1, 2027 start of the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, which will allow eligible taxpayers to receive a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for qualifying contributions to scholarship organizations. In states that participate in the program, those dollars can ultimately support scholarships for eligible students attending Jewish schools.

The initiative represents the next stage of a years-long effort to tackle one of the most pressing challenges facing Jewish families: the rising cost of education.

Teach Coalition, the OU’s nonpublic school advocacy arm, will play a central role in the effort. The organization has spent more than a decade advocating for government funding for Jewish schools and is now working in states across the country to help pave the way for participation in the federal program.

The challenge is twofold: states must participate for their students to benefit, and Jewish schools, families and potential contributors need to be prepared when the program begins.

“We have spent years fighting state by state and budget by budget to make Jewish education more affordable,” said Sydney Altfield, National Director of Teach Coalition. “This is a chance to bring substantial new resources to families on a scale we have never had before. Our job now is to make sure Jewish schools are ready, families know what is available to them and states across the country participate.”

Through The Opportunity Fund, taxpayers will be able to direct qualifying contributions toward participating Jewish schools or communities. The Fund has committed that every dollar designated for a school or community will be used for student scholarships, with operating expenses supported separately.

The national structure is also intended to make participation easier for schools. More than 900 Jewish day schools and yeshivas operate across the United States, ranging from large school systems to small community institutions. The Opportunity Fund will provide a common vehicle through which eligible schools can participate in the new federal program.

For Teach Coalition, that infrastructure will work alongside its advocacy on the ground.

“This only works if we turn an opportunity on paper into actual tuition relief for families,” Altfield said. “That means getting states on board, getting schools prepared and making sure our community understands what is possible. We have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us, but the potential for Jewish education is enormous.”

Schools can begin registering with The Opportunity Fund now to receive information about participation, while taxpayers can pledge their intention to contribute once the federal program takes effect in 2027