The University of Dallas announced a new scholarship opportunity for incoming homeschoolers showing spiritual, intellectual, and social promise.
An annual award of $5,000 is up for grabs at the University of Dallas, a Catholic liberal arts higher-learning institution. To qualify for this renewable scholarship, a student must have previously followed either an accredited or unaccredited homeschool program.
As reported by The Dallas Express, more and more Texans are opting to homeschool their children. Data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) suggests that this trend took off during the 2021-2022 academic year, when nearly 30,000 students were withdrawn from public schools. Although there are some gaps in estimates due to students under grade 7 not being tracked by TEA, up to 10% of school-age children in Texas are believed to be enrolled in homeschool programs.
Student achievement outcomes at traditional public schools may be playing a part in the enrollment decline alongside the growth in charter school alternatives. For instance, Dallas ISD — one of several North Texas school systems seeing declines in student enrollment over the past few years — only managed to graduate 81.1% of its Class of 2022 in four years. Only 41% of district students scored at grade level that school year.
Those wishing to apply for the University of Dallas’ homeschool scholarship are asked to submit an application to attend the university as an undergraduate student, a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and a completed scholarship application before March 1. This scholarship application is submittable online and requires a form, a résumé, and a 500-word essay. The completed application should also include a letter of recommendation from an educator — which could be the homeschooler’s parent — that can be submitted by email to [email protected].
The applicant’s academic record and community service engagement will be considered alongside financial need.
“The selected student will exhibit strong commitments to faith, service, and achievement,” the university announcement read.
Prospective undergrads looking to increase their chances of finding a scholarship can also check out the free app Scholly. As previously covered by The Dallas Express, this tool was created by Alabama native Christopher Gray to help expedite the time-consuming process of hunting for college scholarships. It has helped students win over $100 million since its launch, according to its website.
