NJ Policy Institute, ACE Scholarships launch tutoring fund for New Jersey public school students

The New Jersey Policy Institute and ACE Scholarships launched a fund on Nov. 12, 2026 that will pay New Jersey teachers to tutor public school students at no cost to state or local budgets. The initiative hinges on New Jersey opting into a federal tax credit program by Dec. 31, 2026, or donor dollars will flow to students in other states.

Why it matters: - The fund is designed to channel federal tax-credit donations into high-impact tutoring for New Jersey public school students. - New Jersey teachers would be paid for the tutoring work, creating a new funding stream for educator pay without using school district funds or state program dollars. - If every eligible New Jersey taxpayer participated, the program could generate more than $5 billion a year for New Jersey students.

What happened: - The New Jersey Policy Institute and ACE Scholarships announced the NJ Teachers Public School Tutoring Fund on Nov. 12, 2026. - The fund will pay for tutoring delivered by New Jersey teachers to New Jersey public school students. - Every scholarship awarded through the fund will go to tutoring for New Jersey public school students. - Donors can learn more and commit through NJPI’s secure portal at NJ public schools SGO.

The details: - The fund uses the Federal Education Tax Credit, which begins Jan. 1, 2027. - Taxpayers can redirect up to $1,700 of federal tax liability, or $3,400 for married couples filing jointly, to an approved Scholarship Granting Organization dollar for dollar. - The program will not take money from local school budgets, property taxes or any state program. - The fund will begin serving New Jersey students once the state opts in to the federal program. - Governor Sherrill has until Dec. 31, 2026, to decide whether New Jersey opts in. - If New Jersey does not opt in, residents can still claim the credit, but their gifts will fund students in other states. - Thirty-two other states have opted into the program, including New York. - New Jersey’s 2025 state tests showed 41% of students met expectations in math and 53% in English language arts. - Reading scores remain below pre-pandemic levels. - On the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, 62% of New Jersey fourth graders scored below proficient in reading. - The state’s lowest-performing fourth-grade readers posted their lowest scores in 20 years.

Between the lines: - The initiative is a bid to keep donor dollars in New Jersey instead of sending them to out-of-state students. - The structure also gives the program a local political appeal: donors can support students in their own towns while teachers in those communities get paid for the work. - NJPI is framing the fund as a way to address student learning losses without new tax burdens or budget tradeoffs. - ACE Scholarships is bringing the scholarship-granting infrastructure and donor accounting to the effort.

What the speakers said: - Wells Winegar said the effort is about New Jersey kids, New Jersey teachers and New Jersey towns, and that research shows high-impact tutoring works. - Andy Mulvihill said donor money will stay in New Jersey and can be directed into tutoring for local students. - Jason DiFraia said ACE plans to raise millions through the initiative and manage every gift, receipt and scholarship award with accountability to donors. - The initiative’s first teacher ambassador is Rhiannon Mindas, a New Jersey public school teacher.

What’s next: - NJPI plans to launch community portals that would let donors give to their own town or school district. - Teachers across New Jersey are expected to join as ambassadors to help families, donors and fellow teachers get involved. - ACE says New Jersey donors can commit now, while the state’s opt-in decision remains pending.