Rick Scott, Florida’s Governor, announced a budget proposal prioritizing funding for students with special needs. This is good news for families eligible for Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts (PLSA’s), a scholarship which functions much like a savings account that allows families to purchase approved necessary education products and services.
According to a press release from the Governor’s Press Office, Rick Scott has proposed a $5 million increase for Personal Learning Scholarships Accounts for eligible students with disabilities in grades K-12. As part of his “KEEP FLORIDA WORKING” budget he is dedicating these funds, along with others, to provide funding to individuals with critical needs.
Governor Rick Scott said, “I am pleased to announce that for the second year in a row, Floridians will be removed from the critical needs waiting list with our proposed funding. We are also recommending an increase of $5 million for personal learning scholarships for Florida’s K-12 students with disabilities. These life changing investments will create more opportunities for all Floridians to get a great education and choose the right course of learning that best meets their needs. Every individual should have the opportunity to get a great job and education regardless of the challenges they may face, and that is why we are making this funding a priority.”
With this proposed increase in funding more parents and guardians of eligible students may be able to purchase approved education products and services including tuition, instructional materials, curriculum supplemental materials, fees for achievement tests, tutoring, courses provided by public schools or districts, specialized services such as applied behavior analysis, occupational therapy, speech-language services, physical therapy and more.
Parents and guardians should be aware that there are responsibilities on them when they choose to participate in the PLSA. According to the Florida Department of Education parents take on many responsibilities when choosing to participate in the PLSA. “The first and most important is the responsibility to select the most appropriate placement or serve that best meets the needs of their child.” The law that governs the program includes a list of additional responsibilities and interested parties should contact AAA Scholarships or their Scholarship Funding Organization (SFO) for a complete list of responsibilities. For additional information about PLSA eligibility, responsibilities and to apply for a scholarship click here.
The impact of school vouchers on college enrollment and degree attainment are of particular interest as this study represents the first experimental estimate of the long-term impacts of school vouchers. The information contained in this article and any other article do not reflect the views of AAA. The opinions, conclusions and other information expressed are neither given nor endorsed by AAA or its representatives, but provided for the sole purpose of presenting updates on current research in this sector.