Ohio's Autism and Jon Peterson Scholarships, Explained
Ohio runs two of the biggest special-needs scholarships in the country. The Autism Scholarship: about $29,107 a year on average. The Jon Peterson Scholarship: $9,585 to $32,445 depending on your child's category. Both pay private providers directly. And a child with a speech IEP can spend Jon Peterson entirely on speech therapy.
Verified August 2026The Two Scholarships, Simply
Both work on the same trade: your child has an IEP, and instead of the school district providing those services, the state pays private providers to do it. The Autism Scholarship is for ages 3 to 21 with autism and an IEP. It averages about $29,107 a year and pays state-registered providers, including speech therapists.
The Jon Peterson Scholarship covers every other IEP category, ages 5 to 21, paying $9,585 to $32,445 a year by category. The detail that matters most here: a child whose IEP is for speech can use the whole scholarship on speech therapy. No private school required. In Ohio, for speech kids, the scholarship can simply be the therapy budget.
Is This for You?
Both doors open with the same key: a current IEP from an Ohio district. The state of your child's IEP is the state of your application.
Worth Applying If
Your child has a current IEP. Autism plus an IEP points to the Autism Scholarship. Any other category, including speech, points to Jon Peterson. If speech is the main need, Jon Peterson can pay for private speech therapy directly.
If There Is No IEP Yet, or Needs Go Beyond School Money
No IEP means the district evaluation comes first. Ask for it in writing; both scholarships are built on it. And for kids with significant disabilities, Ohio's DODD waivers below bring full Medicaid that covers needed therapy without caps. The waitlist is real (about 1,887 people statewide), which is exactly why you apply through your county board now, not later.
How to Apply
Get or update the IEP.
Everything starts with a current district IEP. No IEP? Ask the district for an evaluation, in writing. Old IEP? Ask for the review before scholarship season.
Pick the right program.
Autism diagnosis with an IEP: the Autism Scholarship. Every other category, including speech: Jon Peterson. The category also sets the Jon Peterson amount.
Apply through the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
Applications run in yearly windows, and Jon Peterson is capped at 5% of special-needs students statewide, so apply on time. The Autism Scholarship needs state-registered providers.
Line up registered providers.
Both scholarships pay providers registered with the state. Check that your therapist is registered, or ask them to register, before counting on a specific practice. Costs above the scholarship are on the family.
The move Ohio families miss: a speech IEP alone unlocks Jon Peterson, and the money can go entirely to private speech therapy. Families assume scholarship means school tuition. In Ohio, for speech kids, it can just mean therapy, paid for.
Other Doors in Ohio
Scholarship money is one path. Families often use these too, at the same time. Each one was checked in August 2026, with the honest catch included.
DODD waivers (Level One / Individual Options)
full Medicaid coverageOhio has no Katie Beckett option, but DODD waivers count only the child's income; enrollment brings a full Medicaid card that pays speech therapy under EPSDT.
Real waitlist: ~1,887 people statewide; apply through the county board of DD.
sourceQuestions Families Actually Ask
Can we use Jon Peterson only for speech therapy?
Yes. A child with a speech IEP can spend it on IEP services from private providers, and that can be entirely speech therapy. No private school needed.
What decides the Jon Peterson amount?
The disability category on the IEP, on a state scale from $9,585 to $32,445 a year. Speech sits toward the lower end; categories with heavier services sit higher.
What does the district lose if we take a scholarship?
The trade is yours: your child gets IEP services from private providers instead of the district. You can go back to district services at renewal time if it stops working.
Can we get both scholarships?
No, one at a time. A child with autism and an IEP can choose either. Compare the money against what your child actually needs.
What about costs beyond the scholarship?
Those are the family's. That is where the DODD Medicaid door, superbills, and grants each earn a look. The guides below cover all three.
Keep Reading
The Katie Beckett Waiver, Explained
A rule that gets kids with big medical needs full Medicaid, no matter what their parents earn. How it works in every state.
Read the guideSuperbills: Get Money Back for Therapy
Paying cash for therapy? This one piece of paper can get part of your money back from insurance. Here is how it works.
Read the guideGrants That Pay for Speech Therapy
Real grants with real amounts: about $1,000 from Small Steps in Speech, up to $5,000 from UHCCF, plus state funds. Deadlines included.
Read the guideOhio SLPs Know the Registration Maze
Practices that serve scholarship families are registered providers and can tell you exactly how the paperwork works from their side. Find one near you and ask before scholarship season.
Find an SLP near you