Homeschool grad Mary-Helen Peyton got accepted to LSU. But then the school refused to process her financial aid application, saying they needed more paperwork.
HSLDA Attorney Amy Buchmeyer says LSU considered Mary-Helen a dropout for purposes of financial aid.
"Usually in a situation like this, I can write a letter, call up the chancellor, and get it clarified very quickly. However, in this case, they just were not listening."
Buchmeyer said, after repeated phone calls and letters failed, she took the unusual step of flying to Louisiana to meet officials face-to-face.
"We sat down and explained the situation, and they went, ‘alright, this makes total sense. She should get her FAFSA.’
“And the nice thing was they sent out a memo to all the LSU campuses saying that if you graduate from a nonpublic school not seeking state approval, you're a valid homeschooler and can qualify for FAFSA."
Buchmeyer commends Mary-Helen for fighting through this situation and she says these are the opportunities where HSLDA gets to push and make sure this doesn't happen to others.
