TL;DR: The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship pays private school tuition for students who had an IEP, or a 504 plan for a listed condition, in a Georgia public school last year, with no income test. 153 schools in our four-county directory are authorized for 2026-27. Award letters come from GaDOE's online calculator.
Does a 504 plan qualify a child for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship?
Yes, if the plan relates to a condition on the state's list and was in effect during the previous school year at a Georgia public school. ADHD, autism, dyslexia, epilepsy, hearing and vision impairment and many other conditions are on it. The full list also includes intellectual disability, emotional or behavioral disorder, bipolar disorder, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, spina bifida, traumatic brain injury, cancer, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, drug or alcohol abuse, and rare diseases on the NIH list.
GaDOE warns that verifying a 504 student can take longer than an IEP student. If your child doesn't show up in the calculator, the department asks you to submit a Parent Inquiry Form and allow five to seven business days.
Who else qualifies, and who doesn't?
A student with an IEP from the prior year qualifies on the same footing, provided they were counted at a Georgia public school in both the October and March FTE counts and a parent has lived in Georgia for a year. The attendance rule is waived for active-duty military families stationed here within the past year, for children adopted or placed in permanent guardianship from foster care, and for students who qualified before.
What GSNS isn't: a program for children who were never in public school, or for preschoolers and homeschoolers. A rising kindergartner can qualify only after receiving IDEA preschool special education services and turning five by September 1.
How does a family find its GSNS award amount?
Through GaDOE's scholarship calculator, which opened for 2026-27 award letters on July 15, 2026. The amount is the lesser of the private school's tuition and fees or the funding the student would have generated in the home district. Because the public-school figure follows the services written into the IEP, two classmates can carry very different awards. EdChoice puts the statewide average at $7,358 across 6,312 students in 2023-24.
The money goes to the school, not the family, in four checks. For 2026-27 GaDOE mails them on or before October 15, December 15, February 15 and May 17, and each covers a window in which the school actually served the student. Ask the business office how it bills between checks.
Timing also matters if you're switching schools mid-year. A student who withdraws before a quarter's mandatory date, September 4 for the first quarter, doesn't generate that quarter's payment, so a move in the middle of a quarter can leave a tuition gap the family has to cover.
How many metro Atlanta schools take GSNS this year?
153 schools in our four-county directory are on GaDOE's authorized participating list for 2026-27: 49 in Fulton, 43 in DeKalb, 28 in Cobb, 25 in Gwinnett and 8 listed with an Atlanta address but no ZIP. Of those, 73 are also Promise schools.
| County | Directory schools | GSNS authorized, 2026-27 | Also on the Promise list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton | 125 | 49 | 20 |
| DeKalb | 94 | 43 | 23 |
| Cobb | 71 | 28 | 16 |
| Gwinnett | 63 | 25 | 14 |
23 of the authorized schools are ones the federal survey classifies as special education schools or that belong to an exceptional-children association, among them Atlanta Speech School, The Howard School, The Schenck School, Mill Springs Academy and The Lionheart School. The rest are mainstream schools that accept the scholarship, from Catholic parish schools to Christian academies.
GSNS vs. Promise: which fits a child with an IEP?
It depends mostly on your address and on how you want to use the money.
| GSNS | Georgia Promise | |
|---|---|---|
| Gate | IEP or qualifying 504 plan last year | Zoned to a listed school, or entering K |
| Income test | None | Priority and spring entry at or below 400% of poverty |
| Amount | Follows the IEP; average $7,358 (2023-24) | Up to $6,500 |
| Outside therapy | No; it pays the school | Yes, from licensed therapists |
A family zoned to a listed school whose child needs outside speech or occupational therapy may come out ahead with Promise. A family outside the zones, or whose child's IEP carries a large public-school figure, usually looks first at GSNS.
Can a student use GSNS and the Promise Scholarship together?
No. The Promise Scholarship Act excludes students receiving a Georgia Special Needs Scholarship, so a family that qualifies for both picks the one that fits better. Compare them before you accept either one. Our special needs guide and the special education school list are good places to start.
Frequently asked questions
Does a 504 plan qualify a child for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship?
Yes, if the plan relates to a condition on the state's list and was in effect during the previous school year at a Georgia public school. ADHD, autism, dyslexia, epilepsy, hearing and vision impairment and many other conditions are on it.
How does a family find its GSNS award amount?
Through GaDOE's scholarship calculator, which opened for 2026-27 award letters on July 15, 2026. The amount is the lesser of the private school's tuition and fees or the funding the student would have generated in the home district.
How many metro Atlanta schools take GSNS this year?
153 schools in our four-county directory are on GaDOE's authorized participating list for 2026-27: 49 in Fulton, 43 in DeKalb, 28 in Cobb, 25 in Gwinnett and 8 listed with an Atlanta address but no ZIP.
Can a student use GSNS and the Promise Scholarship together?
No. The Promise Scholarship Act excludes students receiving a Georgia Special Needs Scholarship, so a family that qualifies for both picks the one that fits better.
Related questions
- Georgia Special Needs Scholarship: full rules
- Special education schools in the directory
- Therapies a Promise account can pay
- Learning differences and GSNS guide
Sources
- GaDOE: Georgia Special Needs Scholarship
- GaDOE: GSNS Authorized Participating Private Schools List 2026-27
- GaDOE: Qualifying for a scholarship with an IEP or 504 Plan
- GaDOE: GSNS Private School Payment & Administrative Calendar SY27
- EdChoice: Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program
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