Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program
Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (SB10/SB47)
Under a state law passed by the Georgia State Legislature, parents of students who receive special education services may request to transfer their child to another public or private school in Georgia provided that their child has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a Section 504 Plan and has been enrolled for a full academic year in a Georgia public school.
A parent residing within the Columbia County school district can request their child to transfer to another public school within the school district if there is available space at that school and the school has a program with the services that are in the student’s existing individualized education program (IEP) or a Section 504 Plan. In addition, the specific program within the school must also have available space. If the parent chooses this option, then the parent shall be responsible for transportation. Parents who wish to consider this option must submit a request form to the Columbia County Department of Special Education by the deadline.
A parent may choose to enroll the student in and transport the student to a public school outside
of the student's resident school system which has available space and which has a program with the
services agreed to in the student's existing Individualized Education Program or Section 504 Plan. The
nonresident public school system may accept the student, and if it does, such system shall report the
student for purposes of funding to the department. A school district considering a request for a transfer to its school system from another school system has the authority to approve or deny a public-school transfer request. A school district considering a transfer request can deny a request even if there is capacity and a program available within its system. If a request is approved, a school district can charge parent(s)/guardian(s) for the costs of educating a student during the first school year of the transfer.
Parents who are interested in transferring their child to a private school in Georgia may be able to take advantage of a Georgia Special Needs Scholarship. These scholarships provide funding that can be used to offset tuition costs at participating private schools in the state of Georgia. For more information involving this option, please visit the Georgia Department of Education's website.
A parent may also request a transfer to one of the state schools for the deaf and/or blind operated by the State Board of Education. Acceptance into a state school will depend on whether the setting is appropriate for the student’s needs. If the parent chooses this option, then the parent shall be responsible for transportation. Please visit the Georgia Department of Education's website for more information about transferring to a State School.
All requests must be submitted by May 20, 2026. Requests will be reviewed and a response of the decision will be provided no later than July 15th, 2026, via US Mail, or email
Please download and print from the link below.