Eligible students can apply year-round for the program beginning today

Beginning today, September 29th, eligible students can apply year-round for Ohio’s Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program. The program, administered by the Ohio Department of Education, is available for students in grades K-12 who have a current Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Previously, the program held two application windows annually, but language included in House Bill 49, the state operating budget, changed the program to now accept applications all year.

Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarships are worth up to $27,000 per year, depending on the child’s special education category. The scholarship is renewable through high school graduation or the student’s twenty-second birthday if he or she has not met graduation requirements.

Recipients are to use their scholarship for educational services and/or tuition at the participating private school and/or private service provider(s) of the family’s choice. There are currently more than 360 registered schools and private providers statewide.

To apply, families research the participating providers in their area and choose the private school and/or provider(s) that are the best fit for their child’s unique learning needs. Families may choose more than one approved provider to fulfill the services listed on their child’s IEP. Students will go through the admissions process at the participating school and/or providers of their choice. Once the student has been accepted, the family will ask the primary provider to apply for the scholarship on their behalf. While students who have an Evaluation Team Report (ETR) that determines they are eligible for special education and related services are eligible to apply for the scholarship, the student must have a finalized IEP in order to receive the scholarship award.

The number of available scholarships is capped at five percent of the total number of students with special needs in the state. Current private school students are eligible to apply for this program. Students cannot receive a scholarship and remain in their resident public school district.

Families who would like to learn more about the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program can contact School Choice Ohio’s parent information line at 1-800-673-5876. For more information about all of Ohio’s scholarship programs or the wide variety of education options available to Ohio students, visit www.scohio.org.

Editor’s Note: Click here for the current scholarship amounts for each special education category. To find the list of registered providers in your area that accept Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship recipients, click on the following link: https://scholarship.ode.state.oh.us/. Then, click on “Select Program” followed by “Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship.”

Press Release Issued by School Choice Ohio

Michaela Madison Reporting