$1,500 Special Education Grants Supplemental Special Education Services (SSES)
SSES grants allow eligible families to obtain special education goods and services up to the grant’s dollar value. These services are meant to supplement and bolster services your child’s school services. SSES grants DO NOT supplant your school’s obligation to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) and follow the IDEA.
What are Supplemental Special Education Services grants?
Supplemental Special Education Services (SSES) are online accounts in the amount of a $1,500 grant made available to eligible parents of students with disabilities who have been impacted by COVID-19 school closures and remote learning. SSES goods and services are offered to support additional educational progress for students who, because of their complex needs and significant cognitive disabilities, have been among those most greatly impacted by school closures and remote learning. Once approved, you will be able to login to an online marketplace to shop for educational goods services. Good and services include educationally relevant products, technologies and therapies, software and other items to supplement your student’s education.
The grants do not relieve a school’s commitment to provide your child with necessary compensatory services because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Is my child eligible for the SSES grant?
Your child must have been enrolled in a Texas public school during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years. Additionally, your child must meet the grade level requirements below:
If your child was in Kindergarten through 2nd grade during the 2019-2020 school year:
(1) Your child may qualify if they were designated as “Multiple Disabilities” or their primary qualification category was Deaf/Bind.
(2) Your child can may also qualify if they qualify for special education services under
- Auditory Impairment
- Autism
- Intellectual Disability
- Orthopedic Impairment
- Other Health Impairment
- Speech Impairment
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Visual Impairment
AND Your child is served in one of the following settings:
- Resource classroom on home campus
- Self-Contained Classroom for more than 50% of the day
- Homebound instruction
- Residential Treatment Facility
- Texas School for the Blind
- Texas School for the Deaf
- Day Treatment Facility
- Home campus but receives specialized programming off campus
- Not attending home campus but receives specialized programming more than 50% of the day
If your child was in 3rd through 12th grade during the 2019-2020 school year:
(1) Your child may qualify if they are STAAR ALT II eligible.
How do I apply for the $1,500 special education grant?
You can apply for the SSES grant through TEA’s online SSES application.
How many SSES accounts are available?
20,000 SSES grants will be available for families across Texas.
Can a SSES grant be more than $1,500?
Yes. The $1,500 grant amount is per eligible student. However, those grant amounts can be increased if there are fewer than expected applications. They can also be reduced in value for non-low-income families if there are more than expected applications.
Additionally, SSES grants are funded per students, but a family may have an account with funds due to multiple qualifying children. In that cases, grant funds could serve any of the respective children.
When can I apply for a $1,500 special education grant?
SSES grant applications are being accepted now. If available, applications will be accepted through June 30, 2021.
What is the SSES grant application timeline?
TEA will notify you within 30 business days if you have been approved, placed on a waiting list, or do not qualify.
Is there a deadline to use the SSES grants?
Yes, you must have submit all funding requests by December 31, 2021.
