Written by Questions about the Jon Peterson and/or Autism Scholarship? Keep reading!
By Maggie Bender with Ohio Special Education Consulting
The Jon Peterson and Autism Scholarships are available to families with students who have a current/active IEP and are NOT attending public school (i.e., private, homeschool). The scholarship can be complicated and confusing so I’ve listed a few common questions below with answers.
Who is eligible for the scholarship?
Both scholarships require the student to have a current active IEP. Jon Peterson is for kindergarten aged students through twelfth grade, whereas Autism starts at age 3. If your student is in public school, they are not eligible for the scholarship. The scholarship is for private and homeschool families only. Why? Because the student’s IEP is written by the public school so if they’re attending a public school setting, their IEP services are being supported within the public school setting. However, private and/or homeschool families may not have access to an intervention specialist or speech pathologist, for example, so they can use scholarship funds to support the needs of their student through this route.
How do I find a scholarship provider?
You can search on the department of education’s website for scholarship providers and filter by county and/or services. The site will prompt you to select which program – Autism, Jon Peterson, etc. You’ll then be able to filter by county, city, and grades serviced. You can always change the filter to broaden your options as well.
How do I apply?
After you’ve found a scholarship provider (or a few) that you’re interested in, you’ll be able to go to their website or email them. That information will populate when you click on their business name. When you email them, you’ll be able to learn what services they offer, if they’re the right fit for your student, and how to apply. The provider should be able to walk you through the steps to apply.
For all scholarship paperwork, you will submit everything to the provider, not the state.
How is it maintained?
Once you are eligible for the scholarship and have a designated provider, you will apply every year for the scholarship using the same application process. Your scholarship provider can provide you with a copy of the new application but the state will also mail you one – usually mid-spring.
You will meet with your home school district annually to review the IEP. You will want to pay close attention to when your child’s IEP and ETR are due and make note of those in your calendar. Although it is the school district’s responsibility to update the IEP, scholarship students can fall off their radar from time to time since the student isn’t physically in their building. About 4-6 weeks before the IEP or ETR is due, you should reach out to the school about scheduling the meeting if you haven’t heard from them already. You will want to include your scholarship provider on emails with the district as the meeting approaches so the provider can offer input for IEP goals and baseline information.
What happens if my child no longer qualifies for special education services?
If your child’s ETR is completed and they no longer qualify for special education services, you still have access to the scholarship for the remainder of that school year up until June 30, however, you will not be eligible to reapply for the scholarship for the following school year.
Can I have multiple providers?
Yes! You are able to have multiple scholarship providers based on need and can split the funds between providers. This will be an agreement between you and the providers. For example, if your child requires speech and language support as well as occupational therapy, you can have two different providers to support each of those areas.
What is the dollar amount that we can receive through scholarship?
The award amount is linked to your child’s ETR category – you will find this in section 4 of the ETR which is toward the end of the document, right before the signature page. The award amounts for FY25 for Jon Peterson are linked here and Autism here.
Do you have more questions about scholarship, special education, or your child’s IEP/ETR?! Reach out to Maggie at Ohio Special Education Consulting for a free consultation.
