Special Needs Scholarship Program

This notice serves to inform parents and guardians of students with disabilities that the State of Wisconsin has established the Special Needs Scholarship Program. Under this scholarship program and as further specified in state law, a child with a disability who has been denied the opportunity to attend a nonresident school district under the full-time open enrollment program may be eligible to receive a scholarship from the department of open enrollment program may be eligible to receive a scholarship from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) that allows the child to attend an eligible private school that is participating in the Special Needs Scholarship Program.

This is a state-administered program. A parent or guardian who is interested in the Special Needs Scholarship Program should independently verify the participating private schools and the specific terms, eligibility criteria, and application procedures of the scholarship program with the DPI.

The Special Needs Scholarship Program is further defined under section 115.7915 of the state statures. However, special eligibility requirements not found in that statute exist for program scholarships that are awarded for private school attendance that initially began in the 2016-17 school year. Addition information about the program is available on the website of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.