McKay Scholarship program

Currently under threat, the McKay scholarship program has been one that has changed the lives of thousands of students in Florida. 

Offering scholarships that enable students with disabilities to choose the best school, whether public or private, for themselves, the scheme started with a pilot program for six students in 2000 and has expanded massively.

This has caused considerable controversy as there were threats to close the program down following accusations of it being "unconstitutional".

In February 2006, thousands gathered to protect the state-funded scholarship program, with former Florida senator John McKay himself present.

"McKay Scholarships have given our family back the life we should have" Parent of Joshua, a dyslexic student

In fact, this program has been so successful that other States, such as Georgia, have been looking closely to see if they might introduce it.

In 2006, nearly 18000 Florida students were enrolled in the McKay Program.

The real benefits of the program are that it allows parents and families to look at alternatives to public schools for students with special requirements.

However, much of the criticism aimed at the program has been at parents who are homeschooling students.  There have been claims that middlemen are taking a substantial cut of the money allocated, allegedly thousands of dollars, without offering anything in return.

There have also been problems with accountability and management of such a large program.

More about the Program

The program is for students with disabilities to attend the public or private school of their choice.

Students must have well-documented disabilities that can include:-

• mental handicap
• visual or hearing problems or impairment
• learning disabilities, including dyslexia or dyscalculia
• autism
• brain injury
• emotional handicap

If you are dissatisifed with your son or daughter progress at their current school, you may wish to consider applying for a scholarship .

The award may not cover all school fees, but is the value of what the student would have received at the public school to which he, or she, was assigned or the amount of private tuition, whichever is least.

Further Resources

Research Paper on the Florida voucher system - you can read an interesting paper on " No Child Left Behind " here

FA School Choice - check out the latest and read their FAQ's here.

The Scholarship & Grant Guide offers a comprehensive guide for those looking for grants for a specific purpose.