Special Needs Scholarships by State: IEP Scholarships, ESAs and Vouchers Compared

Special needs scholarships compared (2026–27)

Other programs include Utah's Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship, Oklahoma's Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship, Wisconsin's Special Needs Scholarship and South Carolina's Exceptional SC tax-credit scholarship. Check each state page.

IEP scholarships: voucher or ESA?

Vouchers (Ohio, Georgia) pay a participating private school or approved provider. They work best if you've found a school that serves your child well.

ESAs (Florida FES-UA, NC ESA+, Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi) put money in an account you control. You can combine a private school, a reading specialist, speech therapy and assistive technology, or teach at home.

What special needs funds typically pay for

• Private school tuition at schools that serve your child's needs
• Speech, occupational, physical and behavioral therapy from licensed providers
• Structured literacy and dyslexia programs, such as Barton Reading, Wilson Reading and Lindamood-Bell
• Audiobooks and assistive tools like Learning Ally
• Tutoring from qualified, unrelated tutors
• Evaluations and standardized tests
• Assistive technology, often within technology caps

Browse more on Edulist's learning differences page.

Before you leave public school: know what you give up

Federal special education rules say a child placed in private school by their parents has no individual right to the special education and related services they'd receive in public school (34 CFR 300.137). Districts still must spend a share of federal funds on these students and consult with private schools, but the services may be fewer. Many scholarships replace that with money, which can be more flexible. Make the decision with full information.

How to apply for an IEP scholarship

1. Get current paperwork. A recent IEP, 504 plan or evaluation is the key document. Texas matches IEPs against state records, so make sure yours is on file.
2. Check timing. Georgia requires a prior year in public school with special education services. Florida's FES-UA requires the student to be at least 3 by December 31 of the application year.
3. Apply to the administrator. That's Step Up For Students in Florida, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce for Peterson and Autism, the Comptroller and Odyssey in Texas, and the State Education Assistance Authority in North Carolina.
4. Line up providers. Confirm schools and therapists are approved by the program before you book.
5. Track renewals and re-evaluations. North Carolina requires a professional evaluation every three years.

Federal help in 2027 and beyond

• 529 plans: since July 2025, K–12 expenses can include educational therapies for students with disabilities from a licensed or accredited provider, tied to school enrollment.
• Federal scholarship tax credit: Treasury's proposed rules include a safe harbor for SGOs funding individual tutoring or special needs services at schools in low-income areas, which skips household income verification. See tax-credit scholarships.

Plan the supports, then fund them

Save the reading programs, therapies and tutors you're considering to your Edulist wishlist. We show how scholarships typically treat each kind of product and help you apply once to the programs that can pay.