Carson Smith Scholarship

Students attending Elizabeth Academy who have special needs may be eligible to receive a Carson Smith scholarship, which is granted by the state of Utah.

They are available for children with documented special needs and who will be three years old before September 2nd of the current school year. Carson Smith scholarships are granted quarterly during the year. It is the families responsibility to apply for Carson Smith and follow all guidelines set forth by Carson Smith Scholarship.

https://www.schools.utah.gov/specialeducation/programs/specialneedsscholarshipgrants

To be eligible for a scholarship, the student must meet all of the following requirements:

1. The student’s custodial parent or legal guardian must reside within the State of Utah.     

2. The student must have one or more of the following disabilities:           

Autism, Developmental Delay*, Emotional Disturbance, Hearing Impairment, Intellectual Disability, Multiple Disabilities, Orthopedic Impairment, Other Health Impairment, Specific Learning Disability, Speech/Language Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury, Visual Impairment (including Blindness)      

*Applicable to children between 3 to 8 years of age

3. The student must be at least three years of age before September 2 of the current school year.

4. The student must meet one of these two conditions:    

      a) The student was enrolled in a Utah public school in the previous school year, had a current IEP during the school year and has been admitted to an eligible private school; or

      b) The student enrolled in, or has been admitted to an eligible private school designated as a "School that has Previously Served Students with Disabilities", and an assessment team, consisting of representatives from the private school, local education agency, or public schools, and assessment consisting representatives private school, local education agency, or public schools, and parents (Utah Code Sec 53A-1a 704(7) has determined that the student would qualify to receive special education and related services if enrolled in a public school.     

5. An application must be completed and submitted with supporting documentation to Granite School District (for students attending Elizabeth Academy) or Salt Lake School District (for students attending Garfield Academy) or, if your child attended public school last year, to their school district associated with the public school they attended, as directed in the instructions on the application.  

Eligibility Requirements

 

*If a student misses more than ten consecutive days of school during a quarter, a check is not issued and that student is automatically withdrawn from the Carson Smith program.

General Carson Smith Scholarship Timeline

 

August 13 – Application & supporting documents

  1. Copy of birth certificate

  2. Two forms of proof of Utah residency for each parent/guardian

  3. Letter of Acceptance from Elizabeth Academy due from Parents to the Special Education Dept of Granite School District (if child is a current student of Elizabeth Academy) or to the Special Education Dept of Salt Lake School District (if child is a current student of Garfield Academy) or to the school district of the public school your child attended last year if your child is a new student.

  4. BE SURE TO GET A DATE STAMP FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ON YOUR APPLICATION.

45 days from the date that the School District receives the application – School District deadline to perform testing and determine if the student qualifies for special education and the amount of services required.  School District then completes Section D and signs and dates application. Application packet is sent from School District to Utah State Office of Education (USOE)

August 23 - Sept 5 – Elizabeth Academy verifies attendance and enters tuition and fees. 

*Students missing 10 or more consecutive days are considered NOT attending and are automatically withdrawn from the Carson Smith lottery

September 11 - Lottery for all completed and qualified applications received before August 13

*Any application pending to determine eligibility will be included in 2nd Quarter lottery but will receive funding for the full year as funding is available

September 18 – Elizabeth Academy Receives Checks from USOE. Parents must sign their child's check within 15 calendar days. Elizabeth Academy will then apply the check amount first to your child's tuition and then any remaining amount will be applied to your child's therapy services and materials fee. If your child receives tuition assistance, the check will first be applied to cover the tuition assistance amount before being applied to any therapy services or to a reimbursement for tuition paid.

First Quarter

October 23 – Application & supporting documents due from Parents to School District (see above).

45 days from the date that the School District receives the application – School District deadline to perform testing and determine if the student qualifies for special education and the amount of services required.  School District then completes Section D and signs and dates application.  Application packet is sent from School District to Utah State Office of Education (USOE)

Oct 28-Nov 8 - Elizabeth Academy verifies attendance and enters tuition and fees.  Students missing 10 or more consecutive days are considered NOT attending and are automatically withdrawn from the Carson Smith lottery

November 15 - Lottery for all completed and qualified applications received by Sept 11.

November 27 - Elizabeth Academy Receives Checks from USOE

Second Quarter

 January 3 – Application & supporting documents due from Parents to School District (see above).

45 days from the date that the School District receives the application – School District deadline to perform testing and determine if the student qualifies for special education and the amount of services required.  School District then completes Section D and signs and dates application.  Application packet is sent from School District to Utah State Office of Education (USOE)

January  9-17 - Elizabeth Academy verifies attendance and enters tuition and fees (students missing 10 or more consecutive days are considered NOT attending and are automatically withdrawn from Carson Smith eligibility).

January 27 - Lottery for all completed and qualified applications received before November 13; 

February 3 - Elizabeth Academy Receives Checks from USOE

Third Quarter

March 11 - Application & supporting documents due from Parents to School District (see above).

45 days from the date that the School District receives the application – School District deadline to perform testing and determine if the student qualifies for special education and the amount of services required.  School District then completes Section D and signs and dates application.  Application packet is sent from School District to Utah State Office of Education (USOE)

March 18-March 26 - Elizabeth Academy verifies attendance and enters tuition and fees (students missing 10 or more consecutive days are considered NOT attending and are automatically withdrawn from Carson Smith eligibility).

April 1 - Lottery for all completed and qualified applications received before February 15; 

April 10 - Elizabeth Academy Receives Checks from USOE.

Fourth Quarter