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       Michigan Catholic Home-Educator's Scholarship Fund is named in honor of the late Fr. John Hardon, S.J. Father was a renowned moral theologian, author, consultant to the Vatican, spiritual director of Mother Teresa and the Sisters of Charity, a staunch defender of the Faith, and a loyal friend of Catholic home-educating families. Fr. Hardon believed that home education was essential for the survival of Catholic family life and gave generously of his time in promoting home education.

Scholarship Application Form pdf

       Please read the information below, which includes directions for filling out the application. Print, complete, and mail the forms to the address on the application form

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       Because of his great influence in and guidance of the Catholic home-schooling movement in the 1990's, the Michigan Catholic Home Educators (MCH) scholarship fund was established in his name. The purpose of the Father John A. Hardon Scholarship is to provide financial assistance for tuition or the procurement of curriculum materials for home educating families. Funds are made available from MCH to help families provide an authentically Catholic education in the home, the type of education that Father Hardon believed was critical to the survival of the Catholic Faith in the United States of America. The scholarship fund was established in 2002.

       Monies for the scholarship fund are derived from three sources. The first is the MCH allotment that represents the profits from books sold by MCH at the annual two-day conference. The used book sale, instituted this past year, also provides funds. The third source is donations from families and individuals that are sent to MCH for this specific purpose. As books sales have waned, total scholarship funds have not been able to keep pace with the ever-increasing requests for aid. However, it is hoped that the used book sale will be a successful annual source of funds.

       A used book sale was held this past June during the hours of the annual It's Great to be Catholic family and education conference in Lansing. The book sale provided the opportunity for families to sell used curriculum to other home educators while helping to produce additional scholarship funds. MCH and other volunteers staffed the area, displaying books and collecting money for each family/vendor. At the end of the conference, MCH returned any unsold books and a check for items sold. A small percentage of all sales was deducted and split between MCH and the volunteers. MCH's portion will be used to boost scholarship monies.

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Information

       The recommendation of scholarship awards is made by the anonymous MCH Scholarship Committee. It is the job of the scholarship committee to determine how to allocate resources amongst those most in need. Currently, the application requests that parents self-report their earnings for the last two years and include an explanation of their unique financial situation.

       Generally, the family’s financial situation can be determined from an analysis of the reported earnings. However, for the MCH Scholarship Committee to make a fair and equitable decision on all applications, additional financial information may be needed. Some families may have income from other sources that contributes to the total economic picture, for example: social security payments, subsistence support made to dependent children, or certain other sources of income made by government agencies. Or the family may have other relatives living with them who receive government or private pensions which may be helping to ease the family's financial burden. Sometimes, a family’s parish may be providing economic support. Families are encouraged, therefore, to provide information on any additional sources of support that are consistent and dependable in order for the Scholarship Committee to see the complete income picture.

       The quality of the information provided is of the utmost importance. Without complete and accurate information, the Scholarship Committee may be unable to draw correct conclusions that are not based on assumption and conjecture. Unfortunately, time limitations do not permit MCH to contact scholarship applicants to request further documentation or clarification.

       Although reported earnings and income can give the Scholarship Committee a good understanding of a family's situation, a written explanation of their unique circumstances rounds out the picture. It is helpful to know if a family is new to home education or if they are seasoned professionals. It is helpful to know if the financial situation is temporary or sustained and what measures the family takes to stretch its budget. How the family has been coping and their plans to alleviate the financial stress also provide the committee clearer insight. The detailed letters received in past years have told a more compelling story than that seen by financial records alone. The letters have been pivotal in assisting the scholarship committee in its allocation of funds. Therefore, MCH strongly encourages families to detail their unique family and financial circumstances by way of a brief letter.

       At MCH, we are ever mindful of Fr. Hardon's constant admonitions -  indeed his mission - that families are to provide "an authentically Catholic education" in the home. This means, as home educators, we are to use materials infused with the Truth and Beauty of the Catholic Faith, materials which are true to the Magisterium of the Church, materials which inspire and uplift us in our practice of the True Faith. We are to support Catholic vendors and Catholic curriculums.

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