BATON ROUGE, La. – Families eligible for the Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program will be able to apply for those scholarships beginning Monday, July 14.
The program, recently signed into law by Governor Bobby Jindal, provides state-funded scholarships for kindergarten through third-grade 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 in 2007 that did not exceed 250% of the federal poverty guidelines. (please see Table 1.1)
- Be entering kindergarten, first grade, second grade or third grade.
- Have been enrolled in a public school during the 2007-2008 school year that was under the operation of the Recovery School District, unless the student is entering kindergarten for the first time during the 2008-2009 school year.
Letters will be mailed to the last known address of all students who were enrolled in kindergarten, first or second grade in the Recovery School District last school year. The notification to families will also include one student application for each child as well as detailed eligibility requirements and a list of participating schools. Application information will also be available online at www.louisianaschools.net. All applications must be hand delivered to the Dryades YMCA located at 2220 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, New Orleans, La., during the following times:
| Monday, July 14 | 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. |
| Tuesday, July 15 | 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. |
| Wednesday, July 16 | 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. |
| Thursday, July 17 | 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. |
| Friday, July 18 | 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. |
| Saturday, July 19 | 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. |
Only completed applications with all required materials will be accepted. Families must bring original versions of all documentation. Any family with more than one child who may be eligible for this program must fill out a complete application for each child.
After the application process is completed and eligibility is determined, the department will identify scholarship recipients through a random selection process. Eligible students who do not receive a scholarship will be placed on a waiting list. All applicants will be notified either way no later July 31.
Total Family Household Size (including applicant) | Table 1.1
Scholarship Eligibility Gross Income Amounts* |
| Annual | Monthly | Bi-Weekly | Weekly |
2 | $35,000 | $2,917 | $1,346 | $673 |
3 | $44,000 | $3,667 | $1,692 | $846 |
4 | $53,000 | $4,417 | $2,038 | $1,019 |
5 | $62,000 | $5,167 | $2,385 | $1,192 |
6 | $71,000 | $5,917 | $2,731 | $1,365 |
7 | $80,000 | $6,667 | $3,077 | $1,538 |
8 | $89,000 | $7,417 | $3,423 | $1,712 |
For each additional family member, add | $9,000 | $750 | $346 | $173 |
*The income amounts above represent the total family household income (for all employed individuals) before any deductions such as income taxes, Social Security taxes, insurance premiums, charitable contributions, and bonds.
Student Application
Instructions
Letter to Parents
Scholarship Legislation (Act 509)
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