With the 2022-23 academic year underway, families are focused on getting their children back into the school routine. For many of these families, this requires a lot of time and patience however, one thing it no longer requires is the potential for financial hurdles.
The Indiana Choice Scholarship Program offers families more options and financial flexibility when it comes to their child’s education than ever before. Nearly 80% of Hoosier families currently qualify for the Choice Scholarship Program, which allows families to use their own tax dollars to send their children to the private school of their choice. In most cases, the Indiana Choice Scholarship covers 100% of the tuition at a Catholic elementary school in Northwest Indiana and roughly 75% of the tuition at a local Catholic high school. Another benefit of this state-funded program is the financial flexibility it creates for future higher education expenses.
The Magallanes family is just one of many that has benefited from the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program.
Elena Luna-Magallanes has two daughters currently attending Bishop Noll Institute. Her oldest, who recently graduated from Bishop Noll, attends Valparaiso University. Her family did not initially qualify for the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program when her oldest was in elementary school, however, when the income threshold was raised in recent years, she was able to take advantage of the program for her younger children.
“The scholarship program has changed the trajectory of my children’s academic and personal future and has really bridged the gap for my children,” Luna-Magallanes said. “My parents were immigrants coming into the country, and it took me a good 10 years to get my college degree after I had a family. With each different generation, you want better. With the younger ones, it has opened up so many opportunities that exceed my experience and my parents’ experiences.”
Luna-Magallanes’s ability to choose the best school for her children has allowed them to not only thrive academically but athletically and socially as well. Her daughters have attended leadership conferences, secured places on the honor roll, and received a head start on college by taking dual-credit classes. They have also excelled in extracurricular activities, with one child staying active in sports and her youngest child starting a guitar club and rock band at Bishop Noll.
“We have always been involved parents in helping guide our children and the choices that they make. This program creates an opportunity for the parent to voice the choice in where our children are educated and the community that they build,” Luna-Magallanes said. “Being able to share that financial responsibility is just great. It really enabled us to have more opportunities in an already underserved community. It's a great opportunity, and I can't say enough about it.”
To learn if your child qualifies for the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program, take this brief questionnaire and learn the exact scholarship amount that you may qualify for.
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