CHANGES FOR PROMISE SCHOLARSHIPS

(01/07/2008)
Students who earn their GED while attending the Mountaineer Challenge Academy will be eligible to receive PROMISE scholarships.

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission has clarified the eligibility of graduates of recognized alternative-education programs with a GED who meet scholarship requirements.

The alternative academy is sponsored by the West Virginia National Guard.

The commission previously removed the eligibility of GED recipients unless they were home-schooled for the 11th and 12th grades.

The commission is looking at changing the PROMISE scholarship's leave of absence policy.

The changes come in response to a lawsuit filed by a student who had served a two-year mission with the Mormon Church.

West Virginia University student David Haws sued in July after the PROMISE Scholarship Board refused to honor his scholarship because of his religious mission.

His scholarship was restored in October, although Haws has moved out-of-state.

The commission has proposed changing the scholarship's leave of absence policy to include volunteerism, military service and programs related to the student's study, among other things.

The proposals will go to the Legislature.