Special Needs Scholarship Program

The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS) is a school choice program available for special needs students attending Georgia public ​schools​ who are served under an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a Section 504 Plan. If a student meets specific eligibility criteria, parents/guardians have the right to request a transfer from their student’s current public school using these options:

Intra-District Transfer​s (within Fulton County Schools)
Parents can request a transfer to another FCS school provided there is available space (as defined by FCBOE policy) and the school has a program with the services agreed to in the student's IEP or Section 504 Plan. In addition, the specific program within the school must also have available space. Parents shall be responsible for transportation. To apply for this option, parents must follow the Student Transfer process governed by Fulton County School Board Policy JBCD, “Change of School Assignment.”

Inter-District Transfer​s (Outside of Fulton County Schools)
Parents/guardians may request a transfer to a different school system if the receiving school has available space and the system/school has a program with the services agreed to in the student's existing IEP or Section 504 Plan.  If the parent chooses this option and the school system accepts the child, then the parent shall be responsible for transportation to the school in that system. For more information, parents should reach out to the other school district.

Private School Choice
This option provides scholarship funding that can be used to offset tuition costs at participating private schools within Georgia. Eligibility will be determined by using the scholarship calculator on the GSNS website. For more information on the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship and the application process, please visit the Georgia Department of Education's website.

State School Transfer
Parents/guardians 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 if that setting is appropriate for the student's needs. If this option is chosen, the parents/guardians shall be responsible for transportation to the state school. Please contact the Georgia Department of Education for more information about transferring to a State School.​