Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS)
A state scholarship toward private school tuition for Georgia public school students who had an IEP, or a 504 Plan in specified areas, during the previous school year.
How GSNS works
| What you get | An amount set for each student and shown on the student's award letter in the Georgia Department of Education's Scholarship Calculator. The department's page posts no single statewide figure. In 2024-25 the average scholarship was $7,767 a year, and amounts ranged from $532 to $19,184. [1][2] |
|---|---|
| Who qualifies | Georgia public school students who had an Individualized Education Program (IEP), or a Section 504 Plan in specified areas, during the previous school year and who meet the program's other requirements. The program has a prior-year public school attendance requirement. The State Board can waive it for a student with an IEP who could not meet it because of medical or behavioral needs; it granted 101 such waivers in 2024-25. [1][2] |
| How you get it | Look up your child's award letter in the Scholarship Calculator, which the department says is open for 2026-27. If your child is not there, send the Parent Inquiry Form. The department answers inquiries in the order received and asks you to allow 5 to 7 business days. A student who qualifies through a 504 Plan may not appear in the calculator and should use the inquiry form, which can take longer to verify. [1] |
| Where it can be used | At a private school that takes part in the program. The law also lets these students transfer to another public school, another public school system or a state school. [1][2] |
| How the money moves | By quarter. The state's report counts the students paid in each quarter of 2024-25: between 6,312 and 6,424 a quarter. [2] |
| How many use it | 6,631 students at 287 private schools in 2024-25, with $51,501,504 paid in all. 92.6% qualified through an IEP, 5.1% through a Section 504 Plan and 2.3% through pre-K special education services. [2] |
| Tuition vs. the scholarship | Average yearly tuition at participating schools was $17,305 in 2024-25 (from $2,200 to $77,000), more than twice the average scholarship. Ask each school what you would still owe. [2] |
| With other programs | A student cannot hold a Georgia Promise Scholarship while receiving the Special Needs Scholarship. [3] |
| Since | 2007, when the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 10. [2] |
Numbers in brackets point to the sources at the foot of this page. Rules change when the legislature meets, so check the official program page before you count on a number.
How to apply for GSNS
- Check that your child had an IEP, or a 504 Plan in one of the specified areas, in a Georgia public school last school year. The department's eligibility guide lists the details. Eligibility guide (IEP or 504 Plan).
- Open the Scholarship Calculator and look up your child's 2026-27 award letter. Scholarship Calculator.
- If your child is not in the calculator, send the Parent Inquiry Form and allow 5 to 7 business days (longer for a 504 Plan). Parent Inquiry Form.
- Choose a school on the department's 2026-27 participating private school list and ask what you would owe after the scholarship. 2026-27 participating private school list.
- Military families use a separate application form. A family whose child missed the prior-year attendance rule for medical or behavioral reasons can apply for a waiver. Medical waiver application.
Steps from sources [1].
Which schools take part
Private schools apply to the Georgia Department of Education to take part. The department posts a 2026-27 private school application and an administrative and payment calendar, and participating schools sign in to its MyGaDOE portal. [1]
We have not matched the department's 2026-27 participating school list to our school pages, so Georgia schools here are not marked for this program. Check the official list.
The 2026-27 participating school list Browse private schools in Georgia
Questions parents ask
How much is the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship?
It is set for each student and shown on the award letter in the Georgia Department of Education's Scholarship Calculator. In 2024-25 the average was $7,767 a year, and amounts ranged from $532 to $19,184.
Who is eligible for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship?
Georgia public school students who had an IEP, or a Section 504 Plan in specified areas, during the previous school year and who meet the program's other requirements, including a prior-year attendance requirement that the State Board can waive for medical or behavioral needs.
How do I apply?
Look up your child's award letter in the Scholarship Calculator, open for 2026-27. If your child is not listed, send the Parent Inquiry Form; the department asks for 5 to 7 business days, and 504 Plan students can take longer.
Can my child have the Special Needs Scholarship and a Georgia Promise Scholarship?
No. A student cannot hold a Promise Scholarship while receiving the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship.
How many students use it?
6,631 students at 287 private schools in 2024-25, with $51,501,504 paid in all.
Sources
- Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (page updated August 20, 2026), read .
- Georgia Department of Education, GSNS annual report 2024-25 (December 2025), published by the Governor's Office of Education and Workforce Strategy, read .
- Georgia Promise Scholarship Program Regulations, approved May 2026 (section 4.1.6), read .
Read between October 2, 2026 and October 5, 2026. Facts come only from the state agency, the statute and the program's own administrator.