Eligibility

Stoa is organized to serve the privately educated, Christian homeschool community. Stoa recognizes and accepts that homeschooling families use a wide variety of homeschooling strategies and supports the parental right to direct the education of their children.

Eligibility for Stoa and the National Invitational Tournament of Champions (NITOC):

It is expected that a student registering for a tournament is able to compete the entire tournament. Competitors joining Stoa shall meet the following criteria:

1. AGE

Competitors shall be ages 12 to 18 on October 1st of the current season.

2. STATEMENT OF FAITH

The parent member(s) must agree with the Statement of Faith.

  • There is one God eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:16, Matthew 28:19, John 10:30, 2 Corinthians 13:14)
  • Man is sinful and therefore separated from God, who is holy and perfect. (Isaiah 53:5-9, Romans 3:23, I Peter 1:15-16)
  • Jesus Christ paid the eternal penalties for our sin through His death on the cross (Luke 24:46, I Peter 2:21)
  • Jesus Christ also resurrected bodily and ascended into heaven and will return one day to fulfill His kingdom. (Matthew 28:6, Revelation 19:11)
  • Only through Jesus Christ and the grace of His provision of salvation, may we be saved from eternal punishment, enter into God’s family and receive eternal life. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 6:23, Romans 8:11, I John 1:9)
  • The Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible and authoritative Word of God and the truth for Christian faith and practice. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21, John 17:17, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Psalm 19:7-11, John 6:67-69)

3. HOME EDUCATED

If the following statements can be affirmed (with a yes) the student shall be deemed privately home educated for Stoa purposes:
1) Parent or legal guardian(s) direct the educational choices for the student, including the use of dual credit, online/ offline courses, cooperative courses, private tutored courses, and other parent directed methods that support the student’s educational plan; and
2) Parent is the authority to award the Stoa competitor junior high or high school credits and grades; and
3) Under the laws of your state (if your state defines home schooling), the student is classified as legally “homeschooled”; and
4) Student is not enrolled full-time in a public charter school or public school independent study program.

4. LEVEL OF EDUCATION

Stoa student is classified as actively homeschooling as a junior high or high school student, and
1) not previously graduated,
2) nor in a full- time college- level degree program.