The Autism Scholarship

• Who qualifies: children aged 3 through 21 whom their school district has identified as autistic, or whose IEP includes autism services, or who have been diagnosed by a physician or psychologist (ORC 3310.41). Since a law change that took effect in September 2026, a privately diagnosed child in a nonpublic school or home education can qualify with an education plan instead of an IEP.
• Amount: the program's tuition or $34,000, whichever is less, for 2026-27.
• How it starts: the parent first enrolls the child with an approved provider. If the provider is a business rather than a school, the parent home-educates the child.
• Payment: the State pays the parent in partial payments during the year, prorated if the child is not enrolled all year.

See ODEW's How to Apply for an Autism Scholarship page.

The Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship

• Who qualifies: children aged 3 through 21 with a disability and a finalized IEP from their district of residence. Children aged 3 and 4 became eligible in September 2025. There is no income verification.
• Amount: the least of the provider's fees, the maximum for the child's disability category, or $34,000. For 2026-27 the highest category maximum is $34,000. The lowest category, speech or language impairment, pays up to $10,045 for related services only; it does not pay private school tuition. ODEW's FY 2027 JPSN Category Award Amounts lists every category.
• Payment: the State pays the parent in periodic payments, unless the parent authorizes direct payment to the provider.
• Deadlines: ODEW may not set specific application deadline dates for this scholarship (ORC 3310.52). The provider helps the parent apply.
• Limit: the number of scholarships each year is capped by law, based on the number of students identified with disabilities statewide the year before.

Official resources

• ODEW Autism Scholarship page
• ODEW Autism Scholarship FY 2027 amount
• ODEW Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship page
• ODEW scholarship provider directory