Homeschool benefits and savings in Gary and Lake County
The Hard Rock Casino of Northern Indiana Scholarship covers full tuition for up to four years at Indiana University Northwest, based on FAFSA eligibility, for 2025 or 2026 graduates of any Gary high school, home schools included. Apply by January 31, 2027 with a 2.5 GPA, a Core 40 diploma, and 30 to 40 hours of service.
Who qualifies
Graduates from a Gary school
Your student must be a 2025 or 2026 graduate of any Gary, Indiana high school, and the program names home school alongside public, charter, private, and faith-based schools.
Earns 2.5 GPA and Core 40
Your student needs at least a 2.5 high school GPA and a Core 40 diploma, so build your homeschool transcript around Indiana's Core 40 requirements.
Completes 30 to 40 service hours
Community service, volunteer work, or a leadership role counts, and you submit proof with the application.
Starts at IU Northwest
Your student must be accepted and plan to attend IU Northwest as a first-year student in a two-year or four-year degree.
What it is worth
IU Northwest lists $8,774 in yearly tuition and fees for a full-time Indiana resident undergraduate at 2025-26 rates, with flat-rate tuition for 12 to 18 credits a semester.
- One semester (half a year)
- $4,387
- One year, full time
- $8,774
- Two-year degree
- $17,548
- Four-year degree
- $35,096
- Books and supplies each year (not covered)
- $1,204
The scholarship promises full tuition but does not mention fees, and IU Northwest has not posted 2026-27 rates yet, so ask how much of the $8,774 the award pays.
From applying to keeping it
- Before you apply
Get accepted to IU Northwest
Apply for admission through IU's online application. The scholarship application asks for your IU Northwest acceptance letter.
- Before you apply
File the FAFSA
Tuition coverage is based on FAFSA eligibility, so file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for your student's first year.
- By Jan. 31, 2027
Submit the scholarship form
On the Urban League of Northwest Indiana's scholarship site, choose Hard Rock Casino of Northern Indiana Scholarship and attach a resume, transcript, acceptance letter, and proof of service.
- Each year in college
Keep a 2.5 GPA
Your student keeps the award for up to four years by maintaining at least a 2.5 GPA at IU Northwest.
What it pays for
Covered
- Full tuition at IU Northwest
- Up to four years
- Two-year or four-year degrees
Not covered
- Books and supplies
- Housing and food
- Graduates before 2025 or after 2026
Tuition coverage is based on FAFSA eligibility, so the scholarship works with the federal and state aid your student's FAFSA shows.
Hard Rock Casino of Northern Indiana funds the scholarship and runs it with the Urban League of Northwest Indiana.
Good to know
Send five documents
A homeschool family sends the completed application, a resume, the high school transcript you prepare, the IU Northwest acceptance letter, and proof of 30 to 40 hours of community service.
Who to contact
Veronica Zizumbo at the Urban League of Northwest Indiana answers questions about the Hard Rock scholarship application.
vzizumbo@ulofnwi.org 219-887-9621 Scholarship application
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Indiana
No state registration or homeschool number is required. On withdrawal, notify the school in writing. For a high-school student, a parent or guardian must also sign the Withdrawal to Non-Accredited Non-public School Located in Indiana form.
Indiana sets these rules:
- Subjects: Provide 180 days of instruction and instruction equivalent to public schools; state law does not define equivalency, and public-school curriculum rules do not apply.
- Testing: Indiana does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
- Records: Indiana requires you to keep attendance records.
- Teachers: Indiana does not require a teaching certificate or degree to homeschool your own child.
Indiana also has an education savings account that home-educated students can use.
- The Indiana Education Scholarship Account pays about 90% of state tuition support, for students with a qualifying disability or an eligible sibling. Once enrolled, your child is no longer an independent homeschool student, and the money stays in ClassWallet for approved costs.
Read the Indiana homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Indiana
Questions parents ask
- Does the Hard Rock scholarship need a Core 40 diploma from a homeschool?
- Yes. The requirements name a Core 40 diploma and a 2.5 GPA, so ask the Urban League contact how a homeschool transcript shows Core 40 before you apply.
- Will the scholarship pay housing or books?
- No. It covers tuition only. IU Northwest estimates $1,204 a year for books and supplies and $4,230 for food and housing when a student lives with a parent.
- Can my student lose the scholarship?
- Yes. Your student must keep at least a 2.5 GPA at IU Northwest to keep tuition covered for up to four years.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
College classes can cover part of high school. We teach the subjects your child needs alongside them, starting at the right level in each subject.
$149/month per child after the trial.
Find benefits for your ZIP code