Revamped School Choice Scholarship Program Fuels Growth, Options, at Holy Trinity

Jasper - On Tuesday, academic leaders from Holy Trinity Catholic School met with the public to share how the reworked School Choice Scholarship Program has allowed more families to enroll their children in the school district.

Central Campus Principal Jenna Seng, East Campus Principal Jon Temple, and Director of Marketing and Development Andrea Hurm highlighted the changes in a presentation. Though tuition for one year at Holy Trinity Schools might normally cost $3,460 for a single student, Central Campus Principal Jenna Seng says that the extended scholarship program may cover the full cost for more eligible families.

"The State of Indiana just recently updated those income guidelines for the School Choice Scholarship Program, which doubled the income, making it more affordable to middle-income families and basically expands the numbers of students that can come for their own choice," Seng said. "They have their options, and that does cover their own tuition and fees."

Indiana's new guidelines for the School Choice Scholarship Program are reflected here:

Not every student opting into attending Holy Family Schools will immediately be eligible, however, there are four tracks to eligibility. If a student had previously been granted the scholarship, has attended public school for a minimum of two semesters, has a sibling in the school district, or is on the Special Education Track - the student will gain eligibility given their family meets the income guidelines. The new parameters for eligibility have led to nearly triple the amount of students participating in the program, say Seng.

"In years past, we've had roughly 75 students on a School Choice Scholarship," Seng said. "Going into next year, we're going to have over 200 students on a school choice scholarship."

Between the Central Campus, Preschool through Second Grade, and East Campus, Third through Eighth Grade, the district has 463 students currently enrolled.

For students that are not immediately eligible for the School Choice Scholarship, the district does offer $500 voucher through an endowment and the "Scrip" Program, which allows families to raise up to $599 in tuition through the purchase of gift cards to local businesses.

More information can be found online at www.holytrinitysaints.com.