Attention Parents:

Governor Bobby Jindal recently singed into law the Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program. This program offers increased educational choice by providing opportunities for eligible students in Orleans Parish to attend nonpublic or selected public schools.

To be eligible, a child must

• Reside within the geographic boundaries of the covered district (Orleans Parish);
• Be a member of a family with a total income that does not exceed 250% of the current federal poverty guidelines;
• Be entering kindergarten, first grade, second grade or third grade; and
• Have been enrolled in a public school during the 2007-2008 school year that has been identified by the Department of Education as meeting the definitions outlined in the legislation authorizing the scholarship program, unless the student is entering kindergarten for the first time during the 2008-2009 school year.

In order to apply, you must

• Follow the application instructions;
• Complete the student application, and
• Hand-deliver the completed application and all supporting documentation to the following location:

Dryades YMCA, located at 2220 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, New Orleans, LA, during the following times:

Only completed applications with all required materials will be accepted. Make sure that you bring original versions of all documentation. If you have more than one child that may be eligible for this program, you must fill out a complete application for each child.

After the application process is completed and eligibility is determined, scholarship recipients will be chosen by a random selection process conducted by the Louisiana Department of Education.  Eligible students who do not receive a scholarship will be placed on a waiting list.

We thank you for your support of quality education and your interest in this program.  Please see the links below to download an application, get instructions or see a list of eligible non-public schools.  If you need further assistance call 1-877-453-2721.