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 residing outside of Columbia County can request for their child to transfer to a Columbia County Public School if there is available space and the system/school has the program with the services in the student’s existing individualized education plan (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 recent copy of the IEP/504 Plan along with the request form to be considered. If the IEP/504 Plan is not accompanied with the request form, the student will not be considered.  

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 will be reviewed during the month of June, and parents will be notified of the decision the first week in July, via U.S. Mail and Email.

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