Across the States
New Laws Affect Homeschoolers
On May 13, 2008, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue signed into law House Bill 152 changing the law regarding the eligibility for Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) scholarships. Before the recent amendment, the law permitted a student who had completed a home study program to only receive the scholarship retroactively after earning a 3.0 college grade point average and attempting 45 quarter hours or 30 semester hours as a freshman.
The new law leaves intact the provisions of the old law but adds another option for students completing a home study program. If they achieve a score in the 85th percentile or higher on a standardized college admission test, such as the SAT or ACT, they are eligible for the HOPE scholarship at the beginning of their freshman year in college. This new provision also applies to persons who received a general educational development (GED) diploma and to students who graduated from a high school which is not accredited.
Governor Perdue also approved H.B. 969 on May 13, 2008, expanding the driver education opportunities for students being homeschooled. In amending the driver training requirements, the new law adds a new paragraph which states, “the term ‘approved driver education training course’ shall include instruction given in the course of a home education program that satisfies the reporting requirements of all state laws governing such programs, provided that such instruction utilizes a curriculum approved by the department.” With this new law, parents are now authorized to satisfy the state’s driver education requirements as part of the home study program they are conducting for their children.
— by Dewitt T. Black
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