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MORE LEGAL INFORMATION Homeschool Regulations Q&A on Reviews Special Education 2008 Update 2007 Update 2006 Update 2005 Update Locate Elected Officials Maryland State Assembly MD House Committees MD Senate Committees How a Bill Becomes Law
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2009: SB 41 - Higher Education Tuition Charges
UPDATE: Hand In Hand has been in contact with Senator Harrington to discuss this bill. Sen. Harrington has been prompt, courteous, and very willing to revisit the language in the bill. In a private e-mail with Hand In Hand, Sen. Harrington said, "In no way do I think that home school children should NOT receive state tuition benefits." All the same, work still needs to be done to change the language of the bill before it is read in committee. This bill seeks to enlarge the definition of who is eligible to pay in-state tuition to public institutions of higher learning. Currently, the language of the bill requires a student to (1) be enrolled in a public or nonpublic school for two years prior to enrollment in college; and (2) to have received a diploma or GED. Get the latest update on SB 41.
Sponsor: Senator Harrington
Chairman of the Senate Education Committee: Senator Kasemeyer
Vice-Chairman of the Senate Education Committee: Senator Madaleno
Dear Senator Harrington, I am writing to you today with concern for SB 41: Higher Education Tuition Charges, a bill meant to clarify and enlarge the definition of eligible students who may benefit from paying in-state tuition to public colleges. Unfortunately, the current language of the bill excludes Maryland homeschool students from meeting the specified eligibility requirement. As you may know, homeschoolers in Maryland are not classified as public school students, nor do they fall under the regulations of nonpublic school students. Furthermore, current education regulations do not provide for or recognize a parent-issued homeschool diploma. While SB 41, in its current form, does offer the eligibility criteria for a student who obtains a GED, I believe a better solution exists to addressing the diploma requirement for Maryland homeschool students. Rather than require a GED for homeschoolers, a requirement which then puts into question the validity of a family’s high school homeschool program, perhaps language can be included that simply establishes a 3rd class of students, “homeschoolers who have completed a parent-directed high school course of study”. Since all public institutions of higher learning have admissions criteria generally based on high school graduation requirements, it follows that if a homeschool student is accepted to a public university, then the college has verified that the student has in fact met traditional high school graduation requirements. The diploma requirement, in fact, becomes unnecessary as it is the parent generated homeschool transcript that validates the course of study. SB 41 will soon be heard by your Senate Education Committee. I hope that you will consider the needs homeschoolers and propose changes in the current language of SB 41. Thank you for your time.
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© 2009 Hand In Hand Homeschool Consulting Last Updated 2/2/09 |
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