Good News for Georgia Homeschoolers:
House Bill 152 in Georgia passed 43-2 allowing homeschooled college-bound students to receive the Hope Scholarship should they score in the 85th percentile on the SAT or ACT standardized test. The bill is expected to be signed by Governor Sonny Perdue.
The Hope Scholarship (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) is a program in the state of Georgia that gives Georgia students financial assistance in achieving college degrees and post high school certificate programs. To receive the scholarship, students must go to an eligible Georgia public or private college, university, or technical college. The Hope program was started in 1993 and has given more than 3 billion dollars to more than 900,000 students.
Until now, for homeschoolers to receive the Hope Scholarship they would need to earn a B average in their first year of college and then would retroactively qualify for HOPE. Homeschoolers have not necessarily had a problem with the rule, but I am sure many will welcome the new change that will make the first year of college easier.
The public’s reaction to the news story is mixed. Some people feel that if students are homeschooled for religious reasons, they should not be given state money for college. Some feel that if students opt out of School, they should also opt out of HOPE. Others feel that all HOPE Scholarships should be given out based on test scores and not grades because some schools elevate grades and this cheats other students who are more deserving of the scholarships. My personal reaction is that it is about time!
If you live in Georgia and have (or are) a college bound high school student, you can apply for the Home Scholarship by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or the Hope Application. You can get these forms at Colleges, Universities, Technical Colleges, and online at http://www.gsfc.org/HOPE.
Read: Should my child take an SAT or ACT prep course?
*Have a question about homeschooling? Just ask.
* Have you seen the homeschooling curriculum glossary?