The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS) Program is a school choice program available for special needs students attending Georgia public schools who are served under an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). 

To newly qualify for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program for the upcoming school year a student must meet ALL the following requirements: 

• Student Eligibility Criteria 1- A student have must a parent/guardian who currently lives in Georgia and has been a resident for at least one calendar year.

• Student Eligibility Criteria 2- A student was enrolled and completed the 2019 – 2020 school year in a Georgia public school in grades kindergarten through twelfth.

• Student Eligibility Criteria 3- A student was reported as attending a Georgia public school by a school district(s) during mandatory student counts conducted in October 2019 and March 2020.

• Student Eligibility Criteria 4 - A student does not need to have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for the entire school year to qualify for the GSNS Program. A student must have received special education services at some point during the 2019 – 2020 school year through an IEP. A student must be reported by a school district(s) in either the October 2019 OR March 2020 student counts OR in final student record as a student receiving special education services by the end of the 2019 – 2020​​​ school ye​ar.

Eligible students may request a transfer to another public school within your district of residence (see additional School Choice information specific to Henry County Schools released January each year), another public school district outside of Henry County, one of three state schools for the blind or deaf, or a private school authorized to participate in the GSNS Program.

For additional information regarding the Special Needs Scholarship Program, including the Scholarship Calculator and a list of authorized private schools, you may visit the Georgia Department of Education website at https://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/Policy/Pages/Special-Needs-Scholarship-Program.aspx