NWC News Desk

Hathaway Scholarship impact on home school practices

Posted September 21, 2006
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P O W E L L, W y o. - Possible ramifications of the Hathaway Scholarship Program for home schooled students is the topic of Oct. 2 and 5 meetings in Powell and Cody.

Representatives from the Northwest College Financial Aid and Scholarship Office invite parents of home schooled students with college aspirations to attend either session.

The Powell meeting gets underway at 3 p.m. in the Orendorff Building Lounge on campus. The 3 p.m. Cody session will meet in Room 2201 at the NWC Cody Center in Cody.

These informational meetings are designed to help home schooled students get the most out of the Hathaway program, no matter which Wyoming college they plan to attend. The sessions are provided as a public service and are free of charge.

"Some parents who home school their children may need to review their current practices to ensure they meet eligibility requirements for a Hathaway Scholarship," Interim Hathaway Scholarship Coordinator Deborah Karst said.

According to Wyoming statutes, high school students must submit their home-based educational program annually to their local school district through 12th grade. In order to be eligible for a Hathaway Scholarship, Karst said students must provide proof of meeting this requirement.

Karst said there are also concerns that students who utilize out-of-school correspondence high schools to obtain their Wyoming home school diploma may not meet the Hathaway requirements for home schooled status.

"We've already seen home schooled students who were counting on getting a Hathaway Scholarship this year but didn't meet the eligibility requirements because of these kinds of issues," Karst said. "We hope parents who home school children of all ages will attend one of these sessions so they'll be better prepared when their students are ready for college. We want to help in any way we can to ensure home schooled students have full access to the Hathaway Scholarship."

If time allows, the sessions will also include a brief overview of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), including the application process and deadlines.

For more information on the program, visit NWC's Hathaway Scholarships Web site or contact Deborah Karst .