How To Qualify

To qualify for the Georgia Special Scholarship award with an IEP for the 2022-2023 school year the student must meet the following requirements:

1) The student’s parent currently resides within Georgia and has been a Georgia resident for at least one calendar year however, that the one-year requirement shall not apply if the student’s parent is an active-duty military service member stationed in Georgia within the previous year; AND

2) The student had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in effect during the 2021-2022 school year; AND

3) The student spent the prior school year in attendance* at a Georgia public school.

*Prior school year in attendance – the student was enrolled and reported by a public school system or school systems for funding purposes at the time of both FTE program counts, conducted each school year in October and March. See OCGA 20-2-2112 (5)

Prior school year in attendance shall not apply if:
• The student’s parent is an active-duty military service member stationed in Georgia within the previous year; OR
• The student has been adopted or placed in a permanent guardianship from foster care pursuant to an order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction within the previous year; OR
• The student previously qualified for a scholarship as provided in state law.
Please note that previously qualified only waives the prior school year in attendance provision, all other requirements including having an IEP in the previous school year and enrollment in a public school are still in effect.

To qualify for the Georgia Special Scholarship award with a 504 Plan for the 2022-2023 school year the student must meet following qualifications:

1) The student’s parent currently resides within Georgia and has been a Georgia resident for at least one calendar year however, that the one-year requirement shall not apply if the student’s parent is an active duty military service member stationed in Georgia within the previous year; AND

2) The student had a 504 Plan in effect during the 2021-2022 school year relating to one or more of these conditions:
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Attention deficit disorder (ADD);
• Autism spectrum disorder;
• Bipolar disorder;
• Cancer;
• Cerebral palsy;
• Cystic fibrosis;
• Deafness;
• Down syndrome;
• Drug or alcohol abuse;
• Dual sensory impairment;
• Dyslexia;
• Emotional or behavioral disorder;
• Epilepsy;
• Hearing impairment;
• Intellectual disability;
• Muscular dystrophy
• Specific learning disability;
• Spina bifida;
• Traumatic brain injury
• Visual impairment; or
• Any rare disease identified by the National Institutes of Health’s Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center’s list of rare disease disorders.
; AND

3) The student spent the prior school year in attendance* at a Georgia public school.
*Prior school year in attendance – the student was enrolled and reported by a public school system or school systems for funding purposes at the time of both FTE program counts, conducted each school year in October and March. See OCGA 20-2-2112 (5)

Prior school year in attendance shall not apply if:
• The student’s parent is an active duty military service member stationed in Georgia within the previous year; OR
• The student has been adopted or placed in a permanent guardianship from foster care pursuant to an order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction within the previous year; OR
• The student previously qualified for a scholarship as provided in state law.
Please note that previously qualified only waives the prior school year in attendance provision, all other requirements including having a 504 Plan during the previous school year and enrollment in a public school are still in effect.

To qualify for the Georgia Special Scholarship award for Kindergarten in the 2022-2023 school year the student must meet all four requirements:

1) The student’s parent currently resides within Georgia and has been a Georgia resident for at least one calendar year however, that the one-year requirement shall not apply if the student’s parent is an active duty military service member stationed in Georgia within the previous year; AND

2) The student received preschool special education or related services pursuant to Section 619 of Part B of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in the 2021-2022 school year; AND

3) The student must be entering Kindergarten in the 2022-2023 school year; AND

4) The student must attain the age of five on or before September 1, 2022.

You may access the 2022-2023 Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Calculator here. If you qualify (if an award sheet generates), print two copies, take one and present it to the participating private school of your choice and keep the other copy for your records.

There are no application or income restrictions for eligibility in the GSNS Program. A scholarship
calculator is available on the web page for parents/guardians, but will only work if a student is eligible
for the GSNS Program. The award sheet generated by the scholarship calculator is the only proof
needed of a student’s eligibility. There is no specific date, but in the past the calculator has been
updated no later than mid- July.

The award sheet must be given to a private school authorized by the State Board of Education to
participate in the GSNS Program and shows how much an eligible child would receive through the
GSNS Program for the private school choice option.

The award sheet can also be given to a school district when a parent/guardian applies for public school
choice to prove the student is eligible for the choice options available through the GSNS Program. Be
aware that 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.