Pro Tem Greg Treat files bill allowing homeless students to qualify for Lindsey Nicole Henry scholarship program

Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat on Thursday filed legislation that would allow homeless students to qualify for the highly successful Lindsey Nicole Henry (LNH) scholarship program.

The LNH scholarship program was created in 2010 to provide state funds to children with special needs to attend private schools that could better accommodate their needs. The program has been very successful and many families of special-needs students say the program improved their children’s lives for the better.

“Educational opportunity is essential to unlocking a student’s potential. The Lindsey Nicole Henry scholarship program has been wildly successful in helping students with special needs receive the support and opportunity to enjoy a fulfilling education. Homeless students face tremendous obstacles. Giving them access to this scholarship program is a great way to help them overcome those hurdles by getting an education that hopefully could help them become a transformational generation in their family tree,” said Treat, R-Oklahoma City.

Senate Bill 901 amends the LNH scholarship program by expanding the program to “a student who is classified as homeless, meaning that they lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence, and is enrolling in a school specifically designated for homeless students.”

Treat said he hoped expanding the LNH scholarship to homeless students could help them successfully reenter the traditional public education system.