Lindsey Nicole Henry (LNH) Scholarship Program for Children with Disabilities
The Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Act authorizes the parent or guardian of a public school student with a disability who is served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to exercise their parental option and request to have a Lindsey Nicole Henry (LNH) Scholarship awarded for their child to attend a participating private school. The Act also authorizes LNH scholarship eligibility for the following categories:
- A student who has had an Individualized Service Plan developed by the Department of Human Services (DHS)
- A student who is a child of a military family who has moved to Oklahoma after receiving IDEA services in another state
- A student who has been served through the SoonerStart program, and during transition has been determined to be eligible for school district special education services
- A student who has been in out-of-home placement through the Office of Juvenile Affairs
- A student who has been in out-of-home placement with DHS, or who was adopted while in the permanent custody of DHS
For students who are eligible due to their status as public school students served under IDEA, the scholarship is awarded if the child is on an Individualized Education Program (IEP) prior to the request and has spent the previous school year in attendance at a public school in Oklahoma.
You must withdraw your child from the public school district where he or she is enrolled upon receipt of approval for the LNH Scholarship. Failure to withdraw your child from the district may affect your eligibility status to receive the scholarship.
For students whose scholarship was awarded due to their IEP status, the parent/guardian must sign the Revocation of Consent for Special Education and Related Services (RCSERS) form and withdraw their student from the public school district. Accepting the LNH Scholarship is the same as revoking consent for special education services. (See “Parents Rights in Special Education – Notice of Procedural Safeguards.”) The RCSERS form must be sent to the public school district that issued the IEP and a copy must be sent to the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE). The required form must be submitted by mail, fax, or email within 10 business days of receipt of the approval notice. Failure to submit the RCSERS form may result in a prorated scholarship or forfeiture of the scholarship.
Application Procedure
- The parent must first choose an approved private school. Approved Private Schools List
- The LNH Scholarship Application and required documentation must be submitted by the parent/guardian to OSDE by mail, fax, or email by December 1 of the year that parent/guardian is seeking the scholarship. All applications received after December 1 will be processed for the following school year.
- The application process must be completed with the OSDE each year that the parent/guardian chooses for their child to participate in the LNH Scholarship Program.
All recipients of the LNH Scholarship must renew for the scholarship each year, by submitting a current LNH Scholarship application to the OSDE in June or July prior to the beginning of the academic year. The scholarship will be prorated after the date of approval by the OSDE, if the application is received and/or approved after the current school year begins but prior to December 1.
Example: ABC school starts classes on August 21, 2014. Ms. Smith, the parent of a child with a disability, completed an application and the OSDE received it on September 19, 2014. The application was approved by the OSDE on September 23. The amount of the scholarship will be prorated by 23 days, as the tuition amount incurred before the scholarship was approved spanned 23 school days.
If the parent or guardian of a child receiving the LNH Scholarship fails to submit a renewal application by December 1 of each year, the scholarship will be terminated.”
To request the LNH Scholarship for your eligible child, please submit a completed copy of the LNH Scholarship Application (available below) with all required documentation to the OSDE. You may also call (405) 521-4876 to receive an application packet by mail.
Applications & Forms
- Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Application
- Parent Rights in Special Education: Notice of Procedural Safeguards
- Revocation of Consent Form
Completed applications and required documents may be sent to:
Oklahoma State Department of Education
Special Education Services
Attention: Stacy Eden
2500 North Lincoln Boulevard
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
Or fax: (405) 522-2380 - Attention: Stacy Eden
Or email: Stacy.Eden@sde.ok.gov
For assistance with scholarship applications or other questions related to the Oklahoma State Department of Education (LNH) Scholarship for Students with Disabilities, please contact Stacy Eden at (405) 521-4876.
Parent Information
- Application Procedures for the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship
- Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Act
Resources for Private Schools
- AFFIDAVIT (Annual Private School Compliance Statement)
- LNHS Timeline Checklist
- LNH Funding Guidance
- LNHS Quarterly Invoice
- LNHS Annual Financial Statement
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