The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship provides eligible special education students with school choice opportunities. Please see the Understanding the program document in the "For Parents" for more information about the program. Please bookmark the website and check often for updates.

Steps for determining student eligibility for a Georgia Special Needs Scholarship in 2009-2010

If your child participated in the program during the 2008-2009 school year refer to the 2009–2010 Re-Enrollment Instructions document in the For Parents box.

The following applies if you are interested in the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program for the 2009-2010 school year for the first time:

• Verify your child’s eligibility for the 2009-2010 school year. Note IEP stands for Individualized Education Program. In order to qualify for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program a child must meet the following requirements:
  • The student´s parent currently resides within Georgia and has been a Georgia resident for at least one calendar year; and
  • The student has spent the prior school year (2008-2009) in attendance at a Georgia public school in grades K-12 and was in attendance on both the October 2008 and March 2009 FTE counts; and
  • The student had and was served under an IEP written by the public school in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations at any point during the 2008-2009 school year.
  • There are no exceptions to the eligibility criteria.
• If your child qualifies, read Understanding the Program document in the For Parents box.
• There is no application process for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program.
• A scholarship calculator will be available on the website after May 1, 2009. If your child qualifies and the calculator finds a match, a potential scholarship award sheet will generate.
• The scholarship award sheet is proof of your child’s eligibility for the program. You must print the award sheet and make copies of it. Always keep a copy for your records since it is proof of your child’s eligibility. You will not be able to go to the website in subsequent years to reprint it.
• Complete and submit the electronic Parent Intent Form.
• Download the list of authorized 2009-2010 private schools from the website which will become available beginning in April 2009. This list will be updated monthly through July 2009.
• Apply and enroll your child at one of the authorized private schools before Friday, September 11, 2009.
• You must provide the private school with your child's scholarship calculation sheet or your child will not be able to participate in the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program.
• If your child is eligible to participate in Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program and you have enrolled your child in one of the authorized private schools, withdraw your child from the public school by following the procedures established by your child’s school.

Not Eligible for the Program

• Toddler and Pre-K students are not eligible. Students must complete one school year in grades K-12 in a Georgia public school before they are eligible for a scholarship.
• A home school operating under O.G.C.A. 20-2-690 is not eligible to enroll scholarship students.
• Residential Treatment Facilities are not eligible to enroll scholarship students.
• Department of Juvenile Justice Schools and students are not eligible for the scholarship.