What services are covered by the scholarship?
The scholarship pays for the child's education including goals and services on the child's IEP. Cost of education is only covered if the JPSN provider is a chartered non-public school or their educational program has been approved by ODE.
Back to Top
What is the maximum amount of money available for the scholarship?
The maximum scholarship amount varies from $7,588 to $27,000 per school year based upon the child’s special education category. The child must be in the program for a full academic year to claim the maximum amount.
Back to Top
If the services rendered exceed the maximum amount per year for the JPSN scholarship, who is responsible for the costs of these services?
If the cost exceeds the maximum amount allowed per year based on the child’s special education category, the
parent would be responsible for covering the additional cost.
Back to Top
How do I know how much my provider has billed?
For a parent with multiple providers, he/she will designate the percentage of scholarship each provider can receive.
Each provider has access to the electronic application for the student, which also contains each providers cost of
service. The on-line scholarship system will track all payments and a printout of payment history can be obtained
from your provider if there are ever any questions.
Back to Top
Do I have to sign every scholarship check?
The scholarship checks are written to the provider and the parent. The parent must endorse each scholarship check
before the provider can cash or deposit the scholarship payment. By law, the parent/guardian is required to endorse
scholarship checks over to a private school. A parent/guardian cannot take a scholarship check from a provider nor
can he/she refuse to endorse a check unless a written complaint has been filed regarding failure to provide the
services.
Back to Top
Can my child use services in the summer?
The scholarship is an annual amount and our program year runs from July to June. If your child is approved for the scholarship during the summer months, then the scholarship can be used to continue paying for the services listed on the IEP throughout the summer. The scholarship cannot be used for summer services only.
Back to Top
Can scholarship money pay for transportation?
If transportation is listed on the IEP as a related service, the parent may obtain transportation from a registered
private provider qualified to provide such transportation and claim it for reimbursement through the JPSN scholarship
program.
Back to Top
How will my child receive a high school diploma?
If your child attends a Chartered Non-Public school, the school will be able to award a diploma once your child has met state graduation requirements. If you child is attending a special education program that is not a chartered school, they will not be eligible to receive a diploma.
Back to Top
If my child is receiving services on their IEP, are they required to attend school?
A child between six and eighteen years of age is “of compulsory school age”. Parents of children who are of compulsory age are obligated to ensure that their child receives instruction. Every child of compulsory school age shall attend a school or participate in a special education program that conforms to the minimum standards prescribed by the state board of education.
Many of the service providers who participate in the JPSN scholarship program provide specific services on the IEP do not provide minimum instruction. If your child is not attending a chartered non-public school, a non-chartered nonpublic school or an alternative public provider that offers a full educational program, then the parent is obligated to register their child as home schooled with their district of residence.
Back to Top
How do I change or add a provider?
-
Select your new provider and complete all required enrollment or registration forms.
-
Complete the Request for New Provider form
-
Submit the completed form to the provider that you want to add.
-
The provider will access your child’s application online to complete the process
Note: Any time you add a new provider, you will need to reallocate your funds. Only your primary provider can change your allocations in the system.
Back to Top
What services is my public school district responsible for providing?
By accepting the scholarship, you have relinquished your right to FAPE. Your district must renew your child's IEP annually and conduct required evaluations, but the district is not required to provide any services to your child.
Back to Top
Who is responsible for making sure my child gets the services on their IEP?
The parent must work with the providers that they choose to insure that their child's educational needs are met and they receive the necessary supportive services.
Back to Top
What happens if my child is reevaluated mid-year and no longer identified as a student with a disability or is identified in a different disability category than at the time of award?
Students who have been awarded a Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship and then re-evaluated and are no longer identified as a student with a disability will be able to continue in the program for the remainder of the scholarship award period. Such a student will not be able to renew the scholarship for the following year.
Students who have been awarded a Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship and then re-evaluated and found to be identified in a different disability category than at time of the award of the scholarship will not receive additional or reduced scholarship funding until the scholarship has been renewed. The renewal award will show either the additional or reduced funding amount for the following school year.
These determinations are aligned with the process for funding districts for students who attend their school buildings. Public school districts are funded based on the student population during a one-time annual count. For special needs students in the public school districts, no funding changes occur for that school year because of a change to a student's disability category; the change is reflected during the following school year. Scholarship awards are issued for a specific time period, either for a full year or half year. Scholarship award amounts will not change during a funding period because of a change to the disability category.
Back to Top