College set for students who studied at home: home-schooled students now have a college that caters to their needs. In the year 2000, Patrick Henry College in Virginia will admit students who plan to major in government studies

Insight on the News, June 21, 1999 by Andrea Billups

When the first ground is broken for Patrick Henry College on June 25, Mike Farris will be one step closer to his dream. The school, to be built on 44 acres in Virginia, will be the first college in the country geared for students who have been home schooled.

"I wanted to help our country, and I wanted to help our young people," says Farris, founder of the Home School Legal Defense Association and father of 10 children. "I wanted to break out of the educational box like I've helped to do with K-through-12 education."

The nondenominational Christian college, located within commuting distance of Washington, will open in fall 2000. Initially, the school will offer a lone undergraduate major in government, featuring an apprenticeship program designed to give students practical experience in public policy and service. Students will work on faculty-supervised research and writing projects for members of Congress, state legislators, federal agencies, think tanks and advocacy groups. Tuition should range from $12,000 to $14,000 per year, a fee which includes room and board.

"We are combining a traditional liberal-arts model with a white-collar version of vocational training," says the school's provost and academic dean, Brad Jacob, former chief executive officer of the Christian Legal Society. "It all comes from the ivory tower concerns, where students learn theory but don't know beans about how to work in the workplace."

Fifty students will be admitted to the first freshman class, along with 50 junior-level transfer students who may enroll after finishing 40 hours of general-education courses elsewhere (students don't have to be home schooled). The student-faculty ratio will be low, combined with high teacher-student interaction. "There will be no 400-seat lecture halls," says Jacob. "This is a very personal college."

The blueprints for the six Colonial-style buildings have been designed with that in mind. One classroom will house officelike workstations for every junior and senior student, each desk equipped with a phone and Internet connection. All students will receive a laptop computer when they start school.

"We believe in mentoring and disciplining," Jacob adds. "Faculty offices will be nearby and teachers will be walking around and interacting closely with students."

Faith also will be a huge component of school life, according to Jacob. Students and professors must demonstrate a commitment to Christian living, and classes will be taught in theology and religious studies. Most students will live on campus in dormitories, which will be built in small units resembling houses.

Even without a single foundation poured, Jacob and his colleagues are swamped with calls and e-mails from around the country. After years of legal challenges and opposition from school districts, home schooling is legal in all 50 states, where about 1.5 million children are taught by parents seeking a stronger role in shaping their children's character and education.

Supporters of the school also have been generous with donations, contributing to scholarship funds and donating books. One benefactor has given the school an extensive microfilm collection of the nation's newspapers dating from the founding of the country through the mid-1800s.