Frequently Asked Questions

If you pay state income tax in Georgia, you can participate.

• Married Filing Jointly: Maximum of $5,000
• Individual Filer: Maximum of $2,500
• Married Filing Separately: Maximum of $2,500
• Individuals who receive pass-through income can contribute up to $25,000
• S-Corporations who elect to fund their GA tax liability at the entity level (starting in 2022):  Up to 75% of GA tax liability
• C-Corporation: Up to 75% of GA tax liability.

It's easy. All you have to do is complete the entire application process electronically.
Payment can be made by:
1. writing a check to Apogee Scholarship fund and mailing to their address, listed above; or
2. credit card via Apogee's secure website.

Yes. You can make a credit card payment online at www.apogeescholarship.org.

No. You will have 60 days after pre-approval by the Department of Revenue to make your contribution to Apogee Scholarship Fund. Payment may be made by check (written to Apogee Scholarship Fund and mailed to: Apogee Scholarship Fund 3330 Cumberland Blvd., Suite 400, Atlanta, Georgia 30339) or by credit card at Apogee’s secure website. American Express is accepted.

Apogee Scholarship Fund is a state registered Student Scholarship Organization (SSO), as well as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, whose primary functions are to facilitate the process of distributing tax credits in exchange for contributions and to disburse those funds for financial aid programs to designated participating schools.

Upon receipt, Apogee Scholarship Fund will put your application in the queue to the state for approval. Those applications received before January 1 will be submitted to the first day of the calendar year. The state of Georgia will process your application within 30 days of receipt and notify you of your tax credit approval. Apogee will mail you a tax credit receipt for your contribution. You will also receive acknowledgment of your contribution from the development office of Paideia when we are notified of your application.

No. To ensure participation, you should make your contribution now. The state of Georgia has put a cap on the amount of tax credits allowed under this program. These credits will be depleted early in the calendar year. In order to take advantage of this program, both for yourself and Paideia, we encourage you to apply at your earliest convenience. It may be helpful for your planning to note that it takes approximately 4 weeks from submission of your paperwork to receive your tax credit approval. Once you are approved, you must make your payment to the SSO within 60 days.

Yes. Please indicate on your donation form the names of the schools to which you would like to direct your contribution and the amount each school should receive.

Although you are not writing a check directly to Paideia, the financial aid funds received through this program are directly related to your FATC contribution. Paideia is notified of your FATC participation and you will be acknowledged by our development team. Paideia recognizes the valuable contribution of FATC participants..

Thank you for your contribution to the Financial Aid Tax Credit Program! As you know, participation in this program is a simple way to increase your overall commitment to the school with little or no out-of-pocket expense on your part. This program is separate from other fundraising efforts such as the auction or the Annual Fund. Annual Fund donations contribute not only to financial aid, but also to technology, campus improvements and other important programs to the school. Donations to the FATC do not qualify as Annual Fund donations, nor can they be used to fulfill a pledge. However, we recognize the valuable contribution of FATC participants and will celebrate your support of the school with an annual donor event.

The legislation supporting the financial aid tax credit sets aside around $120 Million of tax credits for this program each year. Without this legislation, this money would be available for the state legislature to distribute through the general budget process (it would not automatically apply to the public school budget). However, as the current law stands, the entire allotment of funds will be utilized by private schools in Georgia. After careful consideration, the Board of Trustees has decided that Paideia will participate in this program and steward these funds to continue to strengthen and diversify our student body.

The funds received through the FATC program, like all financial aid grants, are awarded and administered through our internal Financial Aid Review Board. At Paideia, all financial aid is granted on the basis of financial need and is awarded to students who would not have an opportunity to attend Paideia without assistance. The school does not offer scholarships based on academic or athletic ability or any other demonstrated creative talent. We use the National Association of Independent Schools’ School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) to process our applicants’ financial information according to a standard set of procedures. To the best extent possible this methodology assesses the financial resources individual families have available to contribute to tuition. Funds awarded through the FATC program are restricted to incoming Paideia students that are currently enrolled in public school.

Yes, it’s true. Any contribution that you make through this program will be given a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on your state tax return. On the federal side, your contribution qualifies for the income tax charitable deduction because the Student Scholarship Organization that administers the program is a 501(c)(3) organization. Filers subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) may receive an added value. For many taxpayers, it can be a substantial benefit to direct funds through this program. For more information, see “How The Tax Credit Works” on our website. As always, please consult your tax advisor, as they will have the best understanding of your specific tax situation.

Yes. Apogee, an SSO, is a 501(c)(3) organization. You are eligible to receive a federal charitable deduction for the full amount of your contribution. The law does require that you increase your State income by the amount of your charitable deduction (donation amount) on your Federal return. For more information, see “How The Tax Credit Works” on our website.

Yes. You will receive a tax credit from the state of Georgia which will reduce your Georgia tax liability dollar for dollar. For this reason, you may reduce your estimated payments by the amount of your contribution to the FATC program. Please consult your tax advisor as they will have the best understanding of your specific tax situation.

The tax credit is a “non-refundable” credit. What that means is that you cannot receive a refund for any more than your total Georgia tax liability. Any excess credit beyond your total state tax liability can be carried forward for up to 5 years. However, if you are filing as a member of a qualifying pass-through organization for an amount over $2,500, the amount of your credit cannot exceed your actual tax liability for that year. In this scenario, you are not allowed to carry forward excess credits. For examples of tax refund scenarios, please click here. Detailed information and tax scenarios for pass-through organizations may be found at this link.

After you make your contribution, you will receive from Apogee two documents: a tax credit receipt and a charitable donation receipt. You will need to submit your tax credit receipt (approval) with your Georgia state tax return (manual filers) or make your approval available later if requested (electronic filers). Your charitable donation receipt will serve as documentation for Federal itemized deductions. Instructions for filing (manually or electronically) can be found on the Apogee Scholarship Fund website. You can also find general information about the logistics of how the tax credit works on our site. As always, consult your tax advisor as they will have the best understanding of your specific tax situation.

You can find instructions on filing (either manually or electronically) on the Apogee Scholarship Fund website. You will need to submit your tax credit receipt (approval) with your Georgia state return (manual filers) or make your approval available later if requested (electronic filers). Your charitable donation receipt will serve as documentation for Federal itemized deductions. Please consult your tax advisor for further information about your specific tax scenario.