1. Where Georgia Promise tutors are listed
- The Odyssey Marketplace. This is the only place to spend Georgia Promise funds on tutoring. Families reach it by signing in through mygeorgiapromise.org. Tutoring is listed by subject: “English / Language Arts / Reading Tutoring,” “Math Tutoring,” “Science Tutoring,” “Social Studies Tutoring,” “AP Tutoring” and “Foreign Language Tutoring,” plus “Tutoring Aides.”
- GESA’s published provider list. The Georgia Education Savings Authority (GESA) posted a list of approved service providers and vendors dated September 22, 2025. When we checked on October 2, 2026, it was still the newest list posted, so providers approved after that date are not on it. Use the Marketplace for a current picture.
There is no “special education tutoring” category. A tutor for a child with an IEP is found the same way as any other: by subject, then by reading who the tutor is and what their certificate covers. Providers don’t have to be based in Georgia, and GESA’s 2025/26 list includes online tutoring companies from other states, but every tutor must hold a Georgia certificate (section 3).
2. What “approved” does and doesn’t tell you
Approval means a provider applied through Odyssey and agreed to the program’s rules. Among other things:
- each year, a tutoring provider must attest “that the tutoring services are provided by an educator certified by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission” and certify that the certification continues;
- each offering is reviewed before it appears; GESA’s handbook says offerings “must be pre-approved by GESA prior to their inclusion on the program marketplace”;
- providers “shall not refund, rebate, or share account funds with a parent or student in any manner,” and may not charge scholarship students higher or special fees.
What approval doesn’t tell you is whether a tutor fits your child. The law also says a provider “shall not be deemed an agent of the state or federal government as a result of participating in the program or accepting account funds.” We found no separate background-check rule for Promise providers in the program’s published rules. GaPSC says applicants for certification “must respond to background check questions on the application form,” and a Georgia criminal history check is required every five years to renew a certificate. Ask any provider about its own screening too.
3. The certificate rule: subject and grade levels
GESA’s program regulations pay for “Tutoring services provided by an educator certified by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.” Odyssey adds two rules that matter when you compare tutors:
“Tutors may only provide services listed on their certification and for the grade levels covered.”
Tutoring services “must include valid state-specific certifications or licenses that match the subject area.”
To be listed, Odyssey asks each Georgia tutor for:
| Odyssey requirement | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| “PSC Certification ID” | The tutor holds a Georgia certificate, not only one from another state |
| “PSC Field Code – Indicates the subjects and grade levels you are certified for” | The subjects and grades the tutor may teach through Promise |
| “Active PSC Certificate” | The certificate is current; Odyssey says offerings with expired or invalid certifications “will be denied or removed” |
| Tutor’s name and certification in the offering description | You can see who will teach and what they are certified for before you order |
Georgia special education certificates can also list subjects. Under GaPSC Rule 505-2-.106, a special education teacher who is the teacher of record in a subject needs the matching “academic content concentration” on the certificate: Special Education Language Arts, Mathematics, Reading, Science or Social Science, each at a level of P-5, 4-8 or 6-12. That is a GaPSC rule for classroom teachers, not a Promise rule, but it explains why two special education certificates can list different subjects and grades. It is fair to ask which ones a tutor’s certificate shows.
4. What to check in a Marketplace offering
| What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| The named tutor and their certification | The offering must name the tutor. Check that the certificate covers the subject and your child’s grade. |
| Subject category | Each Georgia offering sits in one category. Make sure it is the subject your child needs. |
| Delivery method: “in-person, virtual, or hybrid” | Think about which format suits your child’s attention, comfort and schedule. |
| What the order includes | Providers can sell single sessions or bundles. Know how many sessions you are buying and over what period. |
| Price | The listed price is the price. Odyssey says no additional charges can be added on top, and it should be the same for every family. |
Because service orders are cancelled only if the provider authorizes it, the details in an offering are the details you are committing to. Read them before you order.
5. Special education experience that fits your child
For a child with an IEP, a 504 plan or a learning difference, a subject certificate isn’t the whole picture. Ask about:
- Special education background. Is the tutor certified in special education, or trained and experienced in teaching children with needs like your child’s?
- Experience with your child’s profile. Dyslexia, ADHD and executive function, autism and math learning differences each call for different adjustments. Ask for examples of how the tutor has adapted lessons for a child like yours.
- Reading approach. For dyslexia or reading difficulties, ask which approach the tutor uses, such as a structured, multisensory approach like Orton-Gillingham, and what training they have in it.
- Who teaches. Offerings name a tutor. Ask whether that tutor will teach every session.
Share as much or as little about your child as you are comfortable with. A good tutor will ask about your child’s strengths and interests as well as the hard parts.
6. Connecting tutoring to the IEP goals you share
A tutor is not your child’s school, and tutoring doesn’t replace an IEP. Georgia Code § 20-2B-22(e) says: “A participating student’s resident school system shall not be obligated to provide services to such student that would be required if such student were enrolled in such school system unless the student reenrolls in the resident school system.” A good tutor can still work toward the same skills:
- Share what you choose to share. The goals, the summary of how your child is doing now, and the accommodations are often the most useful parts of an IEP for a tutor.
- Agree on a few focus areas. Ask how the tutor would turn the goals you share into session plans, and how you will both know whether it’s working.
- Carry over supports that help. Accommodations such as extra time, breaks or visual supports can often be used in tutoring too.
- Ask how progress is reported. Will you get regular updates, and in what form?
Questions about your child’s services belong with your school district, a Georgia Parent Mentor or Parent to Parent of Georgia. Our guide to Georgia Promise and your child’s IEP explains more.
7. Online or in person?
The Promise law and regulations don’t say tutoring must be in person, and Odyssey requires each offering to state its delivery method: in-person, virtual or hybrid. Online tutoring widens your choice beyond tutors who live nearby, which can matter if you want a tutor with special education experience in a particular subject and grade.
Some things to weigh for your child:
- Does your child engage well on a screen, or do they need someone in the room?
- Would a familiar setting at home make sessions calmer?
- Does a parent need to be nearby to help with the computer or with focus?
- For online sessions, what platform does the tutor use and what equipment does your child need?
8. What Promise won’t pay a tutor for
| Not covered | Why |
|---|---|
| Tutoring by someone without a Georgia teaching certificate (GaPSC), or outside the subjects and grades on it | The law and Odyssey’s offering rules |
| Tutoring paid for outside the Odyssey Marketplace | Families are not paid back for purchases outside the Marketplace; transportation is the only exception |
| Subjects that aren’t core subjects | GESA’s handbook: “Only expenses for core subjects are eligible.” We found no category for coaching such as executive function, study skills or social skills, so ask GESA before assuming it is covered. |
| Therapy from a tutor | Promise pays for occupational, behavioral, physical and speech-language services only from a physician or therapist licensed in Georgia, in separate Marketplace categories |
| After-school care | Odyssey says after-school care is not eligible |
| Services from family members | The law excludes services billed by family members |
| Late fees | Odyssey lists late fees among expenses that are not allowed |
Our guide to what Georgia Promise pays for covers the full list of qualified expenses.
9. Questions to ask before you order
About the tutor
- Which Georgia certificate field does the tutor hold, and which grade levels does it cover?
- Is the tutor certified in special education? What other training relates to my child’s needs?
- Will the tutor named in the offering teach every session?
About the teaching
- How will you use the goals I share from my child’s IEP or 504 plan?
- What does a typical session look like for a child like mine?
- What do you do when my child is frustrated, tired or stuck?
- How will you measure progress, and how often will I hear about it?
About the order
- Which Marketplace category is the offering in, and what exactly does it include?
- How does scheduling work, and how soon after I order would the first session be?
- What happens if my child is sick or a session is missed?
- If the fit isn’t right, can my child switch to a different tutor?
10. Red flags
- Promised results. No tutor can honestly promise a grade level, a test score or a date by which a child will catch up.
- Paying outside the Marketplace “for now.” Promise doesn’t pay families back for tutoring bought outside the Marketplace.
- Cash back, gift cards, bonus sessions or a special Promise price. Providers may not rebate or share account funds, and must charge the same fees for all students.
- An invoice for a Marketplace order, or an offer to refund you directly. Invoices aren’t shared for Marketplace orders, and refunds go through Odyssey.
- A tutor without a Georgia certificate for the subject and grade, or a different tutor from the one named in the offering, with no explanation.
- Therapy offered as tutoring. Promise pays for those services only from licensed Georgia providers, in separate categories.
- Claims to speak for the program. Providers are not GESA, Odyssey or the State of Georgia.
None of these red flags is about any particular provider. They are simply the points the program’s own rules make worth checking.
11. Where Special Ed Resource fits
Special Ed Resource is an approved provider in the Georgia Promise Scholarship Odyssey Marketplace, with approved tutoring offerings there. We are one of many approved providers, and we would encourage you to ask us every question on this page.
- Tutoring paid with Georgia Promise must be provided by an educator certified by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC), and each Marketplace offering names its tutor.
- Special Ed Resource was founded in 2014, and our 40+ teachers are certified in special education.
- Our tutoring is online and one-to-one.
- We provide academic tutoring only. We don’t offer therapy, speech services, diagnosis or evaluations.
- Promise starts at kindergarten. We also work with children from age 3.5, but tutoring before kindergarten is paid privately.
Before you order, book a free consultation or call (844) 773-3822: we’ll answer the questions above and tell you which of our offerings fits your child and exactly what to look for in the Marketplace’s tutoring categories. Special Ed Resource is not affiliated with the Georgia Education Savings Authority, the Georgia Student Finance Commission, Odyssey or the State of Georgia.