This Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS) Program web page contains all information regarding the program. It is recommended that parents bookmark it and check it often.

In May 2010 there will be a calculator posted on the web page which will enable a parent to determine a child's scholarship amount. The calculator will only work if a student is eligible for the program. Scholarship amounts for students generally range from $2,500 to $13,500 with an average amount of about $6,000.

There is no application process for the GSNS Program. A student must meet the following eligibility requirements if a parent is interested in having a child participate in the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program during the 2010 - 2011 school year for the first time:

Student Eligibility Criteria 1 - The student´s parent(s) currently resides within Georgia and has been a Georgia resident for at least one year.

Student Eligibility Criteria 2 - The student has spent the entire immediate prior school year in attendance at a Georgia public school in grades K - 12.

Student Eligibility Criteria 3 - Student was enrolled and reported by a public school district(s) for funding purposes during the preceding October and March full-time equivalent (FTE) program counts in accordance with O.C.G.A. § 20-2-160.

Student Eligibility Criteria 4 - The student was served during the immediate prior school year under an Individualized Education Program (IEP) written by the public school in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations.

Student Eligibility Criteria 5 - The student was reported by a school district for funding purposes during the preceding October 2009 or March 2010 FTE program counts.

Student Eligibility Criteria 6 - The student was reported by a school district in either the October 2009 or March 2010 FTE program counts or in student record as a student receiving special education services. Please note: At the end of the school year, students served by an IEP after the FTE submissions by public schools in March are updated to reflect that they are special education students. In mid-July the database for the scholarship calculator will be updated to include these students.

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.

Refer to the Understanding the Program document in the For Parents box on the right side of the web page for more details about the GSNS Program.

In order to be eligible to receive the scholarship for the 2010 – 2011 school year, a student must be in attendance in an authorized private school by August 25, 2010. There are no exceptions to this deadline.