Homeschool benefits and savings in Gloucester County
The Abingdon Ruritan Club gives Gloucester County graduating seniors $1,500 a year: four years ($6,000) for a four-year college, or two years ($3,000) for a trade, vocational, or community college program. A homeschooled senior applies with a home school record in place of a high school transcript, postmarked by March 26, 2027.
Who qualifies
Lives in Gloucester County
Both scholarships are for Gloucester County, Virginia residents. The club is a local nonprofit, not a government office.
Graduating high school senior
A homeschooled senior qualifies by sending an official home school record, which the club accepts in place of a high school transcript.
Enrolls full time
The Academic award is for a full-time student at a four-year college. The Workforce award is for a two-year vocational, trade, or community college program, including associate degree and transfer courses.
Meets the GPA minimum
The Academic award requires a 3.0 GPA or higher and community service. The Workforce award requires a 2.2 GPA, and community service is preferred.
What it is worth
The club pays $1,500 for each year a recipient stays enrolled full time and in good academic standing.
- Academic, first year
- $1,500
- Academic, all four years
- $6,000
- Workforce, first year
- $1,500
- Workforce, both years
- $3,000
- Academic awards given each year
- 2
The Academic criteria name 2026 graduating seniors while the deadline is in 2027, so confirm with the club which graduating class this cycle serves.
From applying to renewing it
- Before you apply
Collect three letters
Ask for three letters of recommendation that state the writer's name and relationship to your student. Only one may come from a school official; the others can come from an employer, church, or community group.
- Before you mail it
Complete the application
Fill in the fillable PDF, typed if possible, and attach the home school record. Academic applicants add an essay of at least 250 words, double spaced, on fellowship, goodwill, and community service.
- By March 26, 2027
Mail the packet
Homeschool applicants mail to Abingdon Ruritan Club, P.O. Box 22, Bena, VA 23018, postmarked by the deadline.
- Each year after
Stay in good standing
Each later $1,500 payment requires full-time enrollment and good standing under your college's Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.
What it pays for
Covered
- Four-year college study
- Associate degree and transfer coursework
Not covered
- Residents outside Gloucester County
- Part-time enrollment
- Resumes attached to the application
Who to contact
The Abingdon Ruritan Club runs the scholarships and answers questions about eligibility and applications.
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Virginia
You must file the annual notice of intent by August 15. If you move into a Virginia division or begin after the school year starts, notify the division as soon as practicable and complete the filing within 30 days of the notice.
Virginia sets these rules:
- Subjects: Provide a curriculum and include a list of the coming year’s subjects with the annual notice. The home-instruction statute does not require the public-school curriculum.
- Testing: Submit evidence of progress by August 1 after the school year. Children under six on September 30 of that school year are exempt from this assessment requirement.
- Records: Submit the annual notice, subject list, proof of a qualifying route, and required evidence of progress. Keep copies; no routine portfolio or attendance-log filing is required.
- Teachers: Qualify through a high-school diploma, Board-prescribed teaching qualifications, providing a curriculum or program of study, or evidence that you can provide an adequate education.
Read the Virginia homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Virginia
Questions parents ask
- Which Ruritan award fits a student going into welding or medical assisting?
- The Workforce Training Scholarship. It lists fields such as medical assisting, culinary, cosmetology, automotive, plumbing, electrical, welding, and HVAC.
- Who can write a homeschooler's recommendation letters for the Ruritan scholarship?
- An employer, a church, or a community organization, plus at most one school official such as a teacher or coach.
- Is the money paid all at once?
- No. The club pays $1,500 a year, and each later payment depends on staying full time and in good academic standing.
- Is the scholarship running this year?
- Yes. As of October 12, 2026, the club posts applications with a March 26, 2027 deadline and has announced its 2026-2027 winners.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
Each grant limits the expenses it covers. Where curriculum is eligible, it can pay for the teaching and feedback your child receives in our courses.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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