The State’s funding formula for kindergarten through twelfth grade education is being adjusted for the 2013 – 2014 school year due to changes made by the Georgia General Assembly. These changes will affect the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program. Award amounts for eligible students will be available starting in early June. The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS) Program is a school choice program available for special needs students attending Georgia public schools who are served under an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Beginning in early June, click Scholarship Calculator to pull up the award amount for an eligible student.

Click on the Additional Resources link on the right side of this webpage to find all information regarding the program including continuing a student’s participation. Parents now have three opportunities during a school year to transfer an eligible student from a public school to an authorized private school by the following dates for the 2013 – 2014 school year: September 16, December 16 and March 4.  For the December or March dates, a parent of an eligible student must file an Intent to File for Scholarship form with the GaDOE. This application form will be available on the GSNS web page beginning in October.

In order to qualify for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program a new scholarship student must meet ALL the following requirements: 

• Student Eligibility Criteria 1 - A student have must a parent/guardian who currently lives in Georgia and has been a resident for at least one calendar year.
• Eligibility Criteria 2 - A student was enrolled and attended a Georgia public school (grades K – 12) the entire 2012 – 2013 school year.  Pre-school special education students do not qualify.  A student must complete a full school year in kindergarten before he/she can be eligible.
• Student Eligibility Criteria 3 - A student was reported by a school district(s) during mandatory student counts conducted in October 2012 and March 2013 by public schools.
• Student Eligibility Criteria 4 - A student does not need to have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for the entire school year to qualify for the GSNS Program.  A student must have received special education services at some point during the 2012 – 2013 school year under an IEP.   A student must be reported by a school district(s) in either the October 2012 OR March 2013 student counts OR in final student record as a student receiving special education services by the end of the school year.

The table below will assist a parent/guardian verify a student’s eligibility for the program.

If a student meets the eligibility criteria for the GSNS Program; a parent has the right to request a transfer from a student’s current public school to:

• Another public school within their district of residence; or
• Another public school district outside their district of residence; or
• One of the three state schools for the blind or deaf; or
• A private school authorized to participate in the GSNS Program.

Funds received through the GSNS Program can only be used to offset tuition and fees at a private school authorized by the State Board of Education to participate in the program. Funds cannot be used to offset the costs of out of district tuition, charter schools, or other options available under public school choice.