Homeschooling in North Carolina

[cookderosa]

2 years ago we moved to North Carolina with our family, and I had no idea of how amazing the homeschool situation is in that state. We have more homeschooled children in our state than those in private school. It's abundant. Well, anyway, NC is one state that offers free dual enrollment for grades 11 and 12 statewide, and for grades 9 and 10 in a very limited capacity. There is NO LIMIT to the number of credits your teen can earn completely free.

I'm working on a project to build degree programs for the various NC community college districts. I'm starting with Central Piedmont since that's my home CC, but up next is Rowan-Cabarrus. In a nutshell:

Grades 9 & 10 CLEP / AP exams within the approved academic pathways.
Grades 11 & 12 free courses through the CC that are part of a guaranteed transfer into one of our state's universities- and after completion of the transfer pathway, complete the rest of the AA degree. Additional AP/ CLEP options if desired (not necessary)

In state NC students pay as little as $200/credit for upper level university credit.

I believe with planning, homeschooled students can earn their UNC / NC degree for $12,000 rack rate. That's before Pell (which would make the entire degree only $2000) and before the Phi Theta Kappa scholarship (making attendance $0) and any number of other opportunities for funding.

I'm confident that NC homeschool grads can plan an entire degree for almost nothing. If you count the exam costs as high school curriculum, the costs for building a degree are nothing- certainly an amount a large family with lots of children and 1 income can pay cash for. This is super exciting. There are about 20 of us on Facebook starting to form plans. If anyone would like to look for the group, here is the link - or you can message me. https://www.facebook.com/groups/NCHS4CC/

[dfrecore]

In CA, we also have free (almost) dual-enrollment for high school students (actually K-12 students). If you are under 16, then you must have instructor approval for each course you sign up for. You do have to pay a health fee of $19/semester (which makes no sense if you have health insurance) and a student center fee of $1/unit if you take classes on campus (if you take them on a satellite campus or online, there is no student center fee).

There is no limit to the total number of units you can get through this method, but there is a limit to the number of units you can take each semester: 7 units per fall or spring semester and 5 units per summer session. Basically 2 classes each spring and fall, and 1 class each summer.

That being said, they specifically talk about homeschooled students, BUT then require high school DISTRICT approval for a student to take college classes?!?! I have absolutely no idea why this is a requirement for kids not attending school in that district, or if there will be any issues when you try to get that approval. But, there it is.

Another crazy thing in our state - the community colleges will allow 48 units of CLEP exams, but CSU's will only accept 30 units, and UC's will not accept any. So you have to figure out where you want to transfer to before you go crazy with the CLEP exams.

Our CSU's are roughly $7000/yr for in-state tuition, so about $14000 if you completely dual-enroll and/or CLEP for the 60 units of GenEd/lower division. And we also have guaranteed admission to the CSU/UC system.

Anyway, it's great that you are figuring this out for people Jennifer. It would be nice to get this kind of thing going everywhere, for everyone. Next - getting those state colleges to accept ACE and NCCRS credit!

[Carnation]

In CA, we also have free (almost) dual-enrollment for high school students (actually K-12 students). If you are under 16, then you must have instructor approval for each course you sign up for.

Actually I tried navigating this before the fall semester. Our local community college requires 1) to get an instructor to agree to instruct your student 2) you must get both instructor and department chair to sign a form agreeing to allow a young student to take the course 3) then as a homeschool student the parents must sign a form consenting 4) submit your R4 homeschool certificate 5) bring all these forms to the registrar in person 6) then you have LAST pick when it comes to registering for classes and can only register for the course IF there is still room in the course.
Yep, that's right. You could go through all this and then still not be able to register for the course if it is full of students who have already graduated from high school. AND you have to go through this for each and every course and semester your student wants to attend until they graduate high school.

I was told to wait until my son passes the CHSPE before signing up for college courses because they will consider him a high school graduate even if we continue to register him with the state as a high schooler. Unfortunately as a homeschooler ds has to be registered with the state as at least 10th grader before he can take the CHSPE. In the meantime I will continue to work through high school math with my son and pray that I can keep up.

[cookderosa]

So, each state is different and dual enrollment is a pretty new thing- meaning it might not be available in all 50 states. However, push for it, because it is a HOT HOT HOT topic/trend right now and with the explosion of non-traditional education, this will be available in every state in the near future.

This isn't directed at any specific state, however, if your state requires "school district approval" and you are in a state in which homeschooling is a school (not every state) then YOU are the district and YOU give approval. So, in my old state Illinois, homeschools are private schools. In North Carolina, we are an approved non-public school. So, it's all about classification. There are still some states that oversee homeschooling, but it's small (NY is one).

The answer to any question regarding oversight is to contact HSLDA and find out the legal status of your school in your state. HSLDA: Homeschooling Advocates since 1983

[cathgrl]

In Michigan, if you're a homeschooling family, you can't dual enroll for free, even if you register with the state so that you are technically a "private school" (registering with the DOE when homeschooling in MI is not required). Public and non-homeschooled private school students can get up to 10 courses / 30 credits free after testing at the level of "college readiness," but only one course as a freshman or sophomore per semester and two courses as a junior or senior per semester (I don't remember about summer, but I don't think that's allowed either). As you can see, you'd have to test at college ready before the beginning of sophomore year to get all 10 courses free.

Some parents have resorted to virtual schooling with a public school district for the later high school years in order to get at least some dual enrollment paid for.

[dfrecore]

This isn't directed at any specific state, however, if your state requires "school district approval" and you are in a state in which homeschooling is a school (not every state) then YOU are the district and YOU give approval. So, in my old state Illinois, homeschools are private schools. In North Carolina, we are an approved non-public school. So, it's all about classification. There are still some states that oversee homeschooling, but it's small (NY is one).

The answer to any question regarding oversight is to contact HSLDA and find out the legal status of your school in your state. HSLDA: Homeschooling Advocates since 1983

Thanks for the info! I will definitely look into this (and let you know what I find out). My son is only 10, but already halfway through Algebra 1, so we will be doing this in the next 2-3 years for him for math. It doesn't make a lot of sense for him to take Calculus here at home if I can have him take it at the local community college for the same price (or less) than a homeschool curriculum would cost. And, the state colleges may not accept Calculus through Straighterline or another online option.

AND, the rule for guaranteed admission to the state colleges: you have to take ALL of your classes at 1 community college. So we have to commit to one of them (we can choose which), and then have him take his classes there. We can't go to one for calculus and then another for computer science. It's a weird all-or-nothing deal. Not sure what that's all about, but at least it's on the website and I know in advance.

[dfrecore]

Checked out the laws on HSLDA, we are a legal "private school", since we filed the correct paperwork (the Private School Affidavit).

BUT here's the info from the form that the local CC has online:

- If the minor student has been home schooled, then an official from the high school district where the student resides must sign and the parent or guardian must sign. (Private School Affidavit is Required)

- If the minor student is under 16 years of age, then permission to attend must be requested of the Palomar faculty member who will sign the form if permission is granted. Admissions staff will process the enrollment in person.

I will do more checking, both with the college and the local high school district.

[cookderosa]

Checked out the laws on HSLDA, we are a legal "private school", since we filed the correct paperwork (the Private School Affidavit).

BUT here's the info from the form that the local CC has online:

- If the minor student has been home schooled, then an official from the high school district where the student resides must sign and the parent or guardian must sign. (Private School Affidavit is Required)

- If the minor student is under 16 years of age, then permission to attend must be requested of the Palomar faculty member who will sign the form if permission is granted. Admissions staff will process the enrollment in person.

I will do more checking, both with the college and the local high school district.

Are you already an HSLDA member? They will hold your hand through the process, and they will "correct" any unfairness the school applies to homeschoolers vs public schoolers.

[dfrecore]

I will have to join. We used to go through a public charter school, this is the first year we're "off the grid". Thanks for the reminder.

[Carnation]

It was with Palomar College that I was trying to get my son into.
My son is 9 doing geometry... and I've never been good at geometry.
Is your son a Davidson Young Scholar? We were thinking about having them advocate for us.

We were looking at Palomar's registration priority system and we think we might be able to get our son in through disabled student services which would give him first group priority registration.

Here is Palomar's registration order:
New Enrollment Priority, Effective Fall 2014

Recent updates to legislation governing the California Community Colleges have resulted in a new enrollment priority system. These changes are designed to reward students for behavior that will help them succeed in their studies and complete their certificate, degree, or transfer program in a timely manner. Students will be assigned registration appointments in the following priority scheme:

Group 1. Disability Resource Center (DRC), EOP&S, foster youth, CalWORKS, eligible veterans, and active duty military personnel who submit an application and complete assessment, orientation and development of an education plan prior to the deadline date (Foster youth and DRC students are encouraged to complete assessment, orientation, and development of an education plan). Appointments are assigned by descending unit order starting at 90 earned units completed at Palomar College.

Group 2. Students in their last term of attendance prior to graduation or transfer. Appointments are assigned by descending order for all earned units completed at Palomar College. Students may petition for this priority group by filing an early application for graduation with the Records and Evaluations office. This priority benefit may only be used once in a student’s academic career at Palomar College.

Group 3. New, returning, transfer, and continuing students who complete orientation, assessment and development of an education plan in the immediate period of time prior to the deadline date, usually the first day of class for the preceding full academic term. Appointments are assigned by descending unit order starting a 90 earned units completed at Palomar College. (Students who would otherwise qualify for Group 3, but have 90 or more earned units completed at Palomar College or who have been on Academic or Progress Probation for two or more consecutive terms are moved to Group 7. Exemptions can be made for high unit majors or extenuating circumstances. Students may petition for an exception from loss of priority through the Admissions Office.

Group 4. Student participating in approved special programs. Appointments are assigned by descending unit order starting at 90 earned units1 completed at Palomar College. (Students who would otherwise qualify for Group 4, but have 90 or more earned units completed at Palomar College or who have been on Academic or Progress Probation for two or more consecutive terms are moved to Group 7. Exemptions can be made for high unit majors or extenuating circumstances. Students may petition for an exception from loss of priority through the Admissions Office.) Note: No registration procedures shall be used that result in restricting enrollment to a specialized clientele.

Group 5. Continuing students who are actively registered at census the prior semester or actively registered in a course as of the deadline date. Appointments are assigned by descending unit order starting at 90 earned units1 completed at Palomar College. (Students who would otherwise qualify for Group 5, but have 90 or more earned units completed at Palomar College or who have been on Academic or Progress Probation for two or more consecutive terms are moved to Group 7. Exemptions can be made for high unit majors or extenuating circumstances. Students may petition for an exception from loss of priority through the Admissions Office.)

Group 6. New, returning, or transfer students who are not in Group 3. Appointments are assigned by descending unit order starting at 90 earned units1 completed at Palomar College. (Students who would otherwise qualify for Group 6, but have 90 or more earned units completed at Palomar College or who have been on Academic or Progress Probation for two or more consecutive terms are moved to Group 7. Exemptions can be made for high unit majors or extenuating circumstances. Students may petition for an exception from loss of priority through the Admissions Office.)

Group 7. Returning or continuing students with 90 or more earned units completed at Palomar College and/or students who have been on Academic or Progress Probation for two or more consecutive terms. Appointments are assigned by ascending unit order for all earned units1 completed at Palomar College.

Group 8. Non-high school graduates age 16 to 18. Students less than 16 years of age require permission of the instructor to enroll in classes.