The School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities (SCP) empowers families of students with certain exceptionalities with the financial resources to choose the school that will best address their students’ needs.

For additional information about the School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities can be found on the Louisiana Department of Education website.

Instructions

Please follow these instructions to successfully complete and submit your school’s Notice of Intent to Participate in the School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities for the 2027-2028 School Year:

1. Review Section I: School Eligibility Requirements
2. Complete Sections II-IV to indicate information about your school and the seats your school will offer.
3. Attach documentation requested in Section V 
4. Review program assurances in Section VI and sign Section VII.
5. Submit this form along with any required documentation by October 30, 2026.

If you encounter any issues while completing this form please contact our office at studentscholarships@la.gov for assistance.

Section I: School Eligibility Requirements

For a school to be eligible to participate in the program and accept eligible students to enroll in the program, the nonpublic school must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Be a BESE-Approved Nonpublic School
2. Comply with the non-discrimination criteria set forth in Brumfield, et al. v. Dodd
3. Have provided educational services to students with exceptionalities for at least two years prior to participation
4. Employ teachers who hold appropriate certification in special education
5. Operate in a parish with a recent census population greater than 190,000:
   • Calcasieu
   • Caddo
   • East Baton Rouge
   • Jefferson
   • Lafayette
   • Orleans
   • St. Tammany

Additionally, starting in 2021-2022, schools that were not previously participating in the program must also be accredited or provisionally accredited, per LA HB280.

Please note: New schools that have applied for BESE approval will be considered on a contingent basis, pending approval.

New Awards Requested

For each of the grades below, please indicate how many NEW scholarship awards you are willing to receive in that grade. Do not include current students in this request, only your request for NEW scholarship students.

Final award request numbers will be confirmed before the application closes, but applications will ONLY be collected for grades with non-zero requests.

Requesting new awards is not a guarantee of receiving new awards. Awards are made based on available funding, student interest, and (when necessary) random lottery.

SECTION V: Required Documentation

To participate in the School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities, please attach and submit the following documentation with this Notice of Intent to Participate:

1. Your school’s Special Education Policy
2. A redacted copy of an Individual Education Plan (IEP), district-provided services plan, or a nonpublic school created service plan, that your school has provided accommodations for within the last two years; or, evidence that the school has provided educational services to students with exceptionalities for at least the last two years.
3. A copy of at least one teacher’s certificate indicating your staff is certified to provide accommodations to the exceptionalities your school indicated in Section IV: 2027-2028 Special Education Services Offered by Grade.

SECTION VI: School Assurances 

By participating in the School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities, I agree to the following statements:

• I understand that in accordance with timelines as determined by the Department, each eligible nonpublic school choosing to participate in the program shall inform the Department of the types of students with exceptionalities as defined in R.S. 17:1942 that the school is willing to serve.
• I understand that each participating school will determine the number of eligible students it will accept in any year of program participation and may establish criteria for the enrollment of students.
• I understand that each participating school shall have discretion in enrolling eligible students for participation in the program and no school shall be required to accept any eligible student.
• I understand that no eligible nonpublic school shall require any student seeking to enroll and participate in the program to take an entrance examination.
• I understand that prior to enrollment, each eligible nonpublic school shall inform the parent or guardian of an eligible student all rules, policies,and procedures of such school including but not limited to academic policies and disciplinary policies and procedures.
• I understand that enrollment of an eligible student in the school shall constitute acceptance of such rules, policies, and procedures by the parent or guardian individually and on behalf of the eligible student.
• I understand that an eligible student may be expelled from the school in accordance with the school’s discipline policies or may be disqualified from enrollment if the student is no longer eligible for the program as determined by the Department.
• I attest that the maximum tuition costs provided to the Louisiana Department of Education by this school on the Intent to Participate Form are accurate and represent the true costs charged by this school for tuition for the school year 2027-2028.
• I agree to accept the value of the certificate, which shall be equivalent to 50% of the per-pupil amount of state funds to the city, parish, or other local public school district in which the eligible student is residing for that school year, not to exceed the tuition charged by the eligible nonpublic school, as the only source of funds to be received from the State Department of Education.
• I understand that any cost of educational services above the amount of the certificate issued to the parent or guardian shall not be paid by the state.
• I attest that by electronically signing this document, as outlined in R.S. 17:4031 as a requirement for participation in this program, that this school has existed and provided educational services to students with exceptionalities, as defined in R.S. 17:1942 for at least two years prior to participation in the program.
• I further attest that by electronically signing this document, as outlined in R.S. 17:4031 as a requirement for participation in this program, this school has an established program in place for instruction of such students.
• I further attest that by electronically signing this document, as outlined in R.S. 17:4031 as a requirement for participation in this program, teachers providing instruction to students hold the appropriate certification in special education or other appropriate training as defined by the department and instruction is in accordance with a student’s Individual Education Plan, district-provided services plan or a nonpublic school created service plan; and rules and regulations developed as required in this section.