English Composition 1
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →North CarolinaHomeschool
Career & College Promise for homeschoolers: who qualifies and when
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Registered North Carolina home-school students qualify for Career and College Promise like other high school students. Juniors and seniors need a 2.8 unweighted GPA or college-ready scores for the College Transfer Pathway. Freshmen and sophomores need to be identified as gifted, be college-ready and get approvals. The home school supplies the transcript.
The rule in one table
The NC Community College System's procedures manual sets the College Transfer Pathway rules under 1D SBCCC 400.11. The table sums them up.
| Grade | Entry rule | How long |
|---|---|---|
| 11th-12th | 2.8 unweighted GPA, or college-ready scores, or prior supplemental coursework | One year as a junior and one as a senior |
| 9th-10th | Gifted (AIG plan or 92nd-99th percentile), college-ready in English, reading and maths, principal and college approval, parent consent, advising | Up to four years |
What a home school must provide
State Board code requires a high school transcript verifying eligibility. For a home school, that transcript comes from the parent. It should show courses, grades, credits and the unweighted cumulative GPA, and the college will ask for an updated one each term. Keep it simple and consistent from 9th grade so it is ready when you apply.
If you use test scores instead of the GPA, ask the college which assessments and scores it accepts as college-ready, and send official score reports.
- Courses and grades by year
- Unweighted cumulative GPA
- Official test scores if used
- Updated transcript each term
The freshman and sophomore route
Only a few 9th and 10th graders qualify. The student must be identified as gifted under a local AIG plan or score in the 92nd to 99th percentile on an aptitude test and an achievement test listed in the Mental Measurements Yearbook. The student must also show college readiness in English, reading and maths, have a recommendation on maturity, college approval, parent consent and academic advising. Ask the college how it handles the principal's recommendation for a home school.
Staying in once you start
After two college courses the student must keep a 2.0 college GPA, keep making progress toward high school graduation and send an updated transcript each term. CCP students may not delay high school graduation to stay in the programme. A strong first term matters: choose a light load at first if your student is new to college deadlines.
Plan the first two college courses carefully. The 2.0 rule applies after two courses, so a student who starts with a heavy writing course and a demanding maths course at the same time carries more risk than one who pairs a single core course with ACA 122. A home-school parent can also keep high school work light that term, so the college course gets the time it needs.
Pathways other than College Transfer
CCP also has Career and Technical Education pathways, a Career and College Ready pathway and Cooperative Innovative High Schools. Some CTE pathways are open to freshmen and sophomores in set fields. Ask the college which CTE pathways it offers and what each needs, because local offerings vary.
The Career and College Ready pathway is meant for students who have not yet shown college readiness. It gives them supplemental work in English and maths during the senior year. For a home-school junior who misses the 2.8 GPA and the test scores, ask the college whether it offers this route and how it would count.
When to talk to the college
Start the conversation in 10th grade. Ask the college's CCP coordinator what it needs from a home school, when applications open, and which tests it uses. Ask in writing, keep the replies, and put the deadlines on the family calendar so 11th grade starts on time.
Good questions to bring: which tests the college uses for readiness and what scores it wants; whether it needs anything beyond the transcript to show the home school is registered; how it handles the principal's recommendation for a home school; which courses are open to new CCP students in the first term; and whether books, fees or lab costs fall on the family. Write down who answered and the date.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the community college in writing what your student needs for CCP and whether it will consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit later, before you enrol in any course.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
Does my home school need to be registered for CCP?
Yes. CCP is for currently enrolled North Carolina high school students, and for home schools that means a registered home school. Keep your registration and records current before you apply, and ask the college what proof it wants.
Can a homeschooler take CCP courses online?
Many community colleges offer CCP courses online as well as on campus. Ask the college which courses it offers online for CCP students and whether any need a campus visit for tests or labs.
What happens after my student graduates from high school?
Graduates are not eligible for CCP. Credits already earned stay on the community college transcript, and the student then applies as a regular college student or a transfer student. Ask the university the student plans to attend how it will treat those CCP courses.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
College Algebra
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Principles of Statistics
Self-paced online Principles of Statistics course (Statistics 101). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Build English, maths and science in 9th and 10th grade with courses that carry ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations, then move any credit via a college transcript.
Sources
- NCCCS Curriculum Procedures Reference Manual, Section 14: Career and College Promise (Fall 2025) (official)CCP is tuition-free for eligible students; College Transfer Pathway: junior or senior with unweighted cumulative GPA 2.8, or college readiness on an approved assessment; freshmen and sophomores must be identified as gifted (local AIG plan or 92nd-99th percentile), show college readiness, have principal and college approval and parent consent; keep a 2.0 college GPA after two courses; authority 1D SBCCC 400.11 and G.S. 115D-20; home school documents eligibility. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- NCDPI: Career and College Promise (CCP) Program (official)Eligible students include home school and private school students; graduates are not eligible; tuition for CCP college classes is paid by the NC General Assembly; 2.0 college GPA to remain eligible. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.