Understanding the McKay Scholarship in Florida

Do you have a disabled child who is not satisfied with the current public school? The McKay Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Program offers funds to help you transfer your kid to another public or private school.

DoNotPay’s guide will help you understand all about the McKay Scholarship. The Florida Department of Education helps students and their parents cover education-related expenses worry-free!

Besides the McKay Scholarship, you can discover all the grants—be it for high school seniors or college and graduate school students—your kid is eligible for in a few minutes with DoNotPay.

What’s the McKay Scholarship Program?

The McKay Scholarship program provides financial aid to parents of eligible disabled students to help them cover the costs of transfer to participating private or public schools of their choice.

The McKay Scholarship doesn't impose income requirements—any K-12 student who meets the eligibility criteria can apply.

Eligibility Requirements for the McKay Scholarship

Parents of the students who have any of the following disabilities can apply for the McKay Scholarship:

• Intellectual and learning disabilities
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Emotional or behavioral disability
• Traumatic brain injury
• Developmental delays
• Speech, visual, language, and hearing impairments

To qualify for the McKay Scholarship, you must apply before withdrawing the child from the current public school. Your child should also have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 accommodation plan and meet at least one of the requirements below:

• Enrolled and reported for funding in a Florida public school for at least one year prior to applying for the scholarship, with the exception of foster children or dependents of in-service military personnel who moved to the state on duty
• Attended Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind and reported for funding in the previous October and February student membership surveys in kindergarten through grade 12
• Enrolled in Specialized Instructional Services (SIS) during the previous school year and has a current IEP or 504 accommodation plan produced by the local school board in line with State Board Rule
• Accepted to an approved private school
• Reported to have received Specialized Instructional Services by the Office of Early learning

You also need to apply for the scholarship at least 60 days before the first McKay scholarship payment.

How To Apply for the McKay Scholarship

To apply for the McKay Scholarship Program, follow these steps:

1. Visit the Florida School Choice website
2. Tap the McKay Scholarship link
3. Scroll down and click on the Parents button
4. Select Apply for a McKay Scholarship
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to submit your application

If you are a foster parent, you can apply using the Foster Intent Waiver Request Form instead.

After completing these steps, you should receive a confirmation number that you can use to check the status of your application.

If you experience problems, you can call the Office of Independent Education at 1-800-447-1636.

The McKay administrator can take up to 30 days to determine the student’s eligibility. Once your application is approved, here's what you should do:

• If you choose the McKay Scholarship public school option, get in touch with your school district for further instructions
• If you opt for a private school, select and contact one from the Mckay Scholarship school list

McKay Scholarship Application Deadlines

The McKay scholarship has two deadlines:

• Intent filing deadline—the date by which you need to apply for the scholarship
• Enrollment deadline—the date by which you must enroll your child in a McKay participating school

Although you can apply at any time, the dates when you file your application and get the child enrolled determine the amount of funding your kid can get, as presented below:

Can You Lose Eligibility for a McKay Scholarship?

A student can lose eligibility for the program if their accommodation plan expires while attending a public school and if they:

• Re-enroll in a public school without the parents sending an advance notice to the district
• Graduate from high school
• Reach 22 years of age

A student is not eligible if they are:

• Taking part in a private tutoring program in accordance with s. 1002.43
• Enrolled in the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind
• A beneficiary of a Florida Tax Credit Scholarship
• Enrolled in a home education program
• Attending a state-funded virtual school, correspondence school, or distance learning program, with more than two courses per year

Apply for Other Scholarship Programs

Applying for multiple scholarships can increase your chances of winning one.

Many scholarship programs help disabled kids achieve their education goals, including:

• Gardiner Scholarship—for disabled children (from three-year-olds to up to 12th grade)
• Fred J. Epstein Youth Achievement Award—$1,000 prize awarded to high school students under the age of 19 who have learning disabilities
• Optimize My Firm Scholarship for Students with Disabilities—a one-time $500 scholarship for high school seniors with physical disabilities
• Anne Ford Scholarships—$10,000 award for high school seniors with learning disabilities

Keep in mind that programs (especially those for high school seniors) may require submission of the following paperwork:

• Essays
• Cover letters
• Personal statements
• Recommendation letters

Find More Scholarships and Apply for Them in a Few Minutes Using DoNotPay

Finding scholarships can be an exhausting task, especially if you don’t know where to begin your search. With DoNotPay, you can get a list of all the scholarships and grants you qualify for within a minute, regardless of the student category. Our app can help you concentrate your search on scholarships for veterans, international students, women, and similar.

All you need to do is:

1. Sign up for DoNotPay
2. Find the Apply for Scholarships feature
3. Answer a few questions about your:
   1. Education level
   2. Academic interest

You can also automate your applications for no-essay-scholarships with a few clicks.

Do you have more questions regarding scholarships? You can rely on DoNotPay for other helpful guides on various scholarship-related matters, such as:

• Understanding how scholarships and grants affect your tax liabilities
• Finding scholarships for living expenses
• Understanding scholarship requirements
• Applying for scholarships
• Preparing for a scholarship interview

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