Learning Disability Resource Center

The John M. McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program, commonly known as the McKay Scholarship Program, is a program that allows parents the freedom to pick the educational setting (public or private) that they feel is best suited to the needs of their child with a disability. McKay Scholarships are tuition vouchers that can be requested and obtained from the State of Florida for use at participating eligible private schools. They are issued by the State, not by the public school district. The amount of the scholarship will be the amount being spent on the student in the assigned public school, or the tuition at the private school (whichever is less). If the cost for the services at the private school is greater than the amount of the scholarship, then the additional amount may be provided by the family, by donors, or others to help meet the needs of the child.

If a family is dissatisfied with their child's progress in their assigned public school, they have the option to enroll their child in either a different public school within their district, a public school in an adjacent district, or, obtain a scholarship to a participating private school of choice.

Students with disabilities include K-12 students who have mental retardation, speech or language impairment, are hard of hearing, visually impaired, dual sensory impaired, physically impaired, emotionally handicapped, specific learning disabled, hospitalized, home-bound or autistic.

To qualify for the McKay Scholarship, the child with the disability must:

Have been enrolled in public school

Have been reported for funding in a Florida public school

Have been in grades K-12 during the previous school year (in this instance, during October 2002 and February 2003)

Have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

Notice of Intent

To apply for the McKay Scholarship you must notify your public school district in writing of your intent to "use the McKay"

(Note that the deadline for doing so is July1st for children planning to start the next school year at the new school with scholarship payments beginning in September.)

If you fail to submit a "notice of intent" you cannot obtain a McKay Scholarship for your child. You may submit your notice of intent even if you have not found a new school for your child, or are still looking. Giving notice of intent does not obligate you to remove your child from his or her current school. Keep in mind that you may also transfer your child later during the school year since the scholarships will be reduced accordingly.

Once you have submitted your notice of intent to your district, you should meet with the schools that you are considering for your child. If the school you have selected is able to admit your child, they will complete the final two steps of the registration and enrollment. Both are done online with the Florida Department of Education.