About the Unique Needs Scholarship

The Unique Needs Scholarship was created for students who have unique needs so that they can attend a school that best fits their needs. Unlike our general scholarship and PSA scholarship, this scholarship has no income requirements. Any child with unique needs can qualify for this program as long as they have an IEP or 504 plan.

Eligibility

Do my children qualify for the scholarship?

Applying

How do I apply for the scholarship?

Documents

What documents do I need to apply?

Questions

Who do I contact if I have questions?

Eligibility

In order to qualify for the Unique Needs Scholarship, the student must have an IEP or 504 plan. If the student does not have an IEP or 504, then the student will not qualify for this scholarship.


The scholarship is competitive with limited availability and is awarded on a first-completed, first-served basis and in compliance with the Alabama Accountability Act (AAA).

Applying

Unfortunately, due to funding we will not be able to offer new scholarship awards for the 2025-2026 school year.


This was a very tough decision but one we have had to make for the health of the program to continue with our current families. We continue to search for donors who can help fund our program’s scholarship through their Alabama state income tax liability so that we can continue to grow and offer new awards in the coming years.


Documents

Currently, the required documents are as follows:


  • an IEP or 504 plan


  • Birth certificate (if the student is entering kindergarten or 12th grade)


  • 3rd Quarter Report Card



Questions

  • How much does the scholarship cover?

    The scholarship will cover all mandatory fees and uses the remainder of your scholarship towards tuition. Scholarship amounts are as follows*:



    Grades K-5: $5,500


     Grades 6-8: $7,000


     Grades 9-12: $8,500


    *amounts may vary



    Please note: If tuition at your selected school is more than the scholarship award, then you are responsible for paying the difference.

  • How are scholarship awards decided?

    This is a competitive scholarship with thousands of applications and limited availability.


    All families applying for the Unique Needs Scholarship must meet the have an IEP or 504 plan. There are no exceptions; we must have this documentation to move forward with the application process. Awards are distributed on a first completed, first served basis in their respective prioritization category and in compliance with the Alabama Accountability Act (AAA). 


    Since applications are due before the end of the school year, we require parents to submit most recent report of the first 3 quarters. Please ensure the report card shows the applicant's name and the school they are currently attending.


    Your child's application will not be considered complete if the 3rd quarter report card is missing. Please ensure you submit the correct report card during the application.





  • When will parents be notified of a decision?

    By law, scholarships may not be awarded to students zoned to a priority school until July 1st of each school year. The earliest parents would find out a decision July 1st. However, decisions can take up until early August. 


    Since there are limited scholarships available every year, we encourage parents to have other plans in place in the event their child does not receive the scholarship. Award decisions will be delivered via email from our portal.

  • What other scholarships are available?

    The other scholarships we offer are income-based and have other required documents. To learn more about the other scholarships we offer, please click here.

  • Who can I speak with to learn more?

    Feel free to contact us anytime by calling 205-506-2708 or email us at help@alosf.org. 

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