For an undergraduate degree, it is quite difficult to find a fully-funded scholarship opportunity; you can get that for a postgraduate degree, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a few ones out there; what you need is just to do your research online and even get some recommendations from some learned personnel.
In this article, we are going to be looking at Florida’s most impactful educational options—the Gardiner scholarship! So journey with us as we delve right into everything you need to know about the Gardiner Scholarship
What is the Gardiner Scholarship?
The Gardiner Scholarship, also known as the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program for children with unique abilities and disabilities, is a state-funded program that provides financial help to families of children with special needs. This scholarship was created in 2014 by the Florida Legislature and is administered by Step Up For Students, a nonprofit organization.
The primary goal of the Gardiner Scholarship is to give parents more control over their child’s education by providing them with funding to choose the best educational options for their child. It allows families to customize their child’s education according to their individual needs and preferences.
Students who have any one of the many special needs, unique abilities, and certain disabilities are eligible for the Gardiner Scholarship, including those with Down syndrome, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, and autism spectrum disorder, just to name a few of them.
How Can I Get the Gardiner Scholarship for My Child?
As a parent with a child with special abilities or disabilities, there are two Scholarship Funding Organizations (SFO) that currently administer the Gardiner Scholarship: Step Up for Students and AAA Scholarship Foundation. Parents must apply for the Gardiner Scholarship directly through these organizations.
Before beginning the application process, it’s important for families or parents to review the Gardiner Scholarship requirements to ensure that their students meet certain criteria to be eligible. It is important to note that even approved families should renew their application every year before the deadlines.
What is the Step Up Program?
Step Up For Students (SUFS) is a private, nonprofit organization whose goal is to help children in Florida attain the best education possible by providing scholarships for them. SUFS reviews and approves applications, manages student accounts, reviews claims, and processes payments.
In addition to offering scholarships to special students, they also offer a number of other financial aid options, which includes the income-based Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, the Hope Scholarship for bullied students, and the Reading Scholarship Accounts program for reading help.
Who Awards the Gardiner Scholarship?
SUFS is one of the two approved Scholarship Funding Organizations for the Gardiner Scholarship. The other is the AAA Scholarship Foundation.
The SUFS recognizes that not all children learn the same way. By providing these scholarships for special needs students and support to those who need it most, families are given the freedom to choose the best learning options for their children.
Eligibility for the Gardiner Scholarship
Since the Gardiner Scholarship is intended for children with certain special needs and disabilities. A student is only eligible if he or she has one of the following disabilities:
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Muscular dystrophy
- Cerebral palsy
- Down syndrome
- Phelan McDermid syndrome
- Prader-Willi syndrome
- Spina bifida
- Williams syndrome
- Intellectual disability (severe cognitive impairment)
- Rare diseases as defined by the National Organization for Rare Disorders
- Anaphylaxis
- Deaf
- Visually impaired
- Dual sensory impaired
- Traumatic brain injured
- Hospital or homebound as defined by State Board of Education
- Deemed high-risk due to developmental delays (applies to 3-5 year-olds)
- Reside in the state of Florida.
- Be between 3 years of age up to 12th grade, or age 22, whichever comes first.
In order for you to prove that a student is eligible, he or she will need to provide a validation of his or her diagnosis from a Florida physician, psychologist, or doctor who holds an active license issued by another state or territory of the United States. To demonstrate that your student is dual sensory impaired or hospital or homebound, a current Individualized Education Program (IEP) is required.
When Can You Apply for the Gardiner Scholarship?
Each SFO (Scholarship Funding Organization) has their own deadlines for applicants to apply. With SUFS (Step Up for Students), new applicants can apply for the Gardiner Scholarship for students with disabilities anytime. There is no deadline for now. All the new, eligible applicants will be placed on a waitlist since renewal students have priority. Renewal families have funding priority through June 30th of every year; if you apply for renewal thereafter and there is no funding available, the student may be waitlisted.
AAA Scholarship Foundation’s deadlines usually falls in mid-August. Families can apply online or print, sign, and mail in their application with all the necessary documents. As for the SUFS, renewing families receive first priority, followed by students waitlisted from the previous year, new applicants, and late-filing applicants.
How Much Does the Gardiner Scholarship Pay?
The amount of money awarded on the Gardiner Scholarship varies based on some factors, which include the student’s grade, country of residence, and disability. The average amount is typically around $10,000.
The funds may be used by families for expenses such as:
- Tuition and other fees at eligible private schools
- Specialized therapies and services
- Instructional material
- Curriculum
- Postsecondary education
- and more!
The Gardiner Scholarship Application Process
The application process for the Gardiner Scholarship is very straightforward.
- Families need to create an online account on Step Up For Students’ website and fill out an application form.
- The required documents include proof of student’s age and residency in Florida.
- Documents of diagnosis of a qualifying disability from a licensed physician or psychologist.
- The proof of eligibility to enroll in kindergarten through grade 12 in public schools if applicable (for homeschool students), along with other supporting documents as needed.
Benefits of The Gardiner Scholarship
- Tailored Education: One of the biggest benefits of the Gardiner Scholarship is that it allows families to tailor their child’s education according to their specific needs.
- It Aids Flexible Use of Funds: Parents are given the flexibility to use the scholarship funds in various ways, such as tuition fees for private schools, tutoring services, instructional materials, therapies, and technology devices. This gives them (parents) more control over how their child’s education plan is to be structured.
- They Gain Increased Access: The Gardiner Scholarship also opens up opportunities for children who may not have been able to access specialized education due to financial issues or lack of options in their local area. This scholarship has made it possible for families to explore different academic programs and schools that were previously out of reach for them.
- Personalized Learning Environment: Children with special needs often require personalized attention and instruction methods. With the flexibility this scholarship has provided, parents can create an individualized learning environment that specifically provides their child’s strengths and needs.
- It Reduces/Reduced Financial Burden: The scholarship covers a significant portion of educational expenses, which can ease the financial burden on families with special needs children. This allows them to focus on their child’s education without worrying about the costs associated with it.
The Services Covered By The Gardiner Scholarship
The Gardiner Scholarship covers a wide range of services and products that are tailored to meet each student’s unique needs. These include tuition and fees at any approved private school or public school out of district, virtual instruction programs, their curriculum materials (including digital), therapies such as occupational therapy and speech therapy, assistive technology devices and software, transportation costs associated with attending an eligible public school outside of the student’s district, and more.
Final Words
Parents with children with special needs might find it difficult to see or get a school that might provide special needs to their child. In this article, we’ve brought to you a scholarship for the special needs child, the Gardiner Scholarship. It is a scholarship program for children with special needs and disabilities; it comes with a lot of benefits, like relieving the parents of constraints of funds and stress of looking out for schools or scholarships for their unique child.
