HappyMomma

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- One girl who had the grades and the ACT scores was recently denied a scholarship because she is home-schooled.



Shalynn Ford's full-time job for the past 13 years has been home schooling her daughter Nova.


Ford said she was thrilled when the work paid off and Nova was awarded a $4,000 a year Hope scholarship and a $1,000 a year Merit scholarship to go to MTSU.

But soon after qualifying, she got a letter saying that the Merit scholarship was being taken away.


"Because she's a home-school student, she had the additional burden of the statute stipulating that she had to earn 12 semester hours of college credit," said Ford.


While she did earn the credit, only eight hours were in a college classroom, so she was declared ineligible.

The requirements for the Merit scholarship are a 3.75 grade point average and a 29 on the ACT.


But the Legislature included an additional 12 hours of college credit for home-schooled children.


"They did not want to accept a GPA given by a parent to be a qualifier for the scholarship because they were afraid some parents would fudge on the grades in order for their children to qualify for the scholarship," said Rep. Mike Bell, R-Riceville.


The problem is that it's keeping qualified home-schooled students like Nova from getting the money that, on paper, she's earned.


MTSU officials heard about Nova's case and awarded her a scholarship comparable to the one she lost. But Ford said she is worried about the thousands of other home-schooled students in the state.


"It's morally wrong. It's ethically wrong. It's a stupid piece of legislation, and it really needs to be amended so that other home-school students aren't discriminated against in this fashion," she said.


Lawmakers plan on addressing the issue when they go back to session in January.


As for the Hope scholarship, there's a requirement that a home-school student be taught at home for the last two years of high school that's also caused people to lose out on some money.


Lawmakers were planning on fixing that this year, but the legislation died on the last night because the state didn't have enough money.

Home-Schooled Girl Denied Scholarship - Education News Story - WSMV Nashville

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