Webinars

American GOAL: Federal Scholarship Tax Credit and Regulatory Update

Thursday, October 8, 2026

9:00 AM - 9:45 AM (CDT)

This webinar will provide a timely update on the U.S. Treasury regulations for the new federal scholarship tax credit. American GOAL will explain the regulations in practical terms, identify what has changed or been clarified, and discuss how the guidance will affect participating schools, donors, and eligible families. The session will focus on the decisions, communications, and operational preparations schools should complete before the program officially begins on January 1.

Participants will leave prepared to:

Understand the major provisions of the final or proposed Treasury regulations and their implications for schools.
Identify any updated requirements affecting donor contributions, student eligibility, scholarship administration, reporting, or compliance.
Understand the respective responsibilities of American GOAL and participating schools under the new guidance.
Finalize an implementation timeline for school leadership, finance, advancement, admissions, and financial aid teams.
Prepare donor, family, board, and community communications ahead of the January 1, 2027 launch.
Identify remaining questions or school-specific issues that may require additional guidance before launch.

Also learn from American GOAL during an August 4 webinar, "Turning Federal Taxes into Educational Opportunity," and at our August 27 Marketing and Enrollment Conference.

Our Facilitators

Ben Saylor

President and CEO, American GOAL

Ben Saylor serves as President and CEO of the GOAL Scholarship Program. Ben joined GOAL in 2022, bringing with him 14 years’ experience as a results-oriented business leader to the GOAL team. Before joining GOAL, Ben served as Executive Director of Energy Dispatch, LLC, the transportation company that transports fuel for RaceTrac. During his decade at RaceTrac, Ben managed numerous large-scale projects and, during periods of unprecedented growth, successfully navigated strategic and operational challenges. Ben graduated from Furman University, with a BA in Business Administration.Since joining the GOAL Team, Ben has made a remarkable impact through his passionate belief in school choice, his strong business acumen, and his heart for providing unsurpassed customer service to our partner schools, tax credit contributors, and scholarship recipient families.

Lisa Kelly

Senior Advisor and former Executive Director, American GOAL

Lisa Kelly has been with the GOAL Scholarship Program since its inception, serving as President and Executive Director for 15 years. Prior to joining GOAL, Lisa served as Vice President and CFO of Brand Velocity, Inc., an international IT consulting firm, and Manager of Quality Assurance for Management Science America, Inc., at that time the largest application software company in the world. Lisa also worked for EY in the consulting group and for PwC in the audit group. She earned her accounting degree from the University of Georgia and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Lisa now serves as Senior Advisor for GOAL, continuing her engagement in the strategic direction and operations for the organization.

Kate Saylor

VP of Marketing and Communications, American GOAL

Kate Saylor has been with the GOAL Scholarship Program for 17 years, since its early stages of operation. She leads all marketing and communications efforts, including content creation, web development management, production of marketing materials, external communications, and email and social media marketing. She designs custom materials for GOAL participating schools, along with the GOAL Annual Report in-house each year. Kate is an Atlanta native and graduated from the University of Georgia. She has championed GOAL’s brand over the years, and the ‘Georgia Education Tax Credit Program’ is very commonly referred to as ‘the GOAL Program.’

Allison Saxby

VP of Operations, American GOAL

Allison Saxby serves as the Vice President of Operations. As part of the GOAL team for 14 years, Allison has managed all aspects of the tax credit contribution process including taxpayer-donor management and client services to GOAL participating schools and tax and financial advisors. She has led the continuous improvement and implementation of our service offerings, thereby resulting in substantial growth in GOAL contributions. A native of South Carolina, Allison graduated magna cum laude from Clemson University with a B.S. in Marketing. She now resides in Brookhaven, Georgia.

Registration Options

Registration Options	Credits	Price
TAIS Member		FREE
Guest		FREE

For More Information:

Melissa Lawmaster Falks

Partnerships and Special Projects Director TAIS

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