College Algebra
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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NC Opportunity Scholarship does not cover homeschool: your options
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
The North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship does not cover full-time home school. NCSEAA says it applies only to tuition and fees at registered private schools. Home-school families look elsewhere: ESA+ if the student has a qualifying disability, Career and College Promise from 11th grade, and courses the family chooses and pays for in 9th and 10th grade.
What the Opportunity Scholarship covers
NCSEAA's FAQ answers the question directly: full-time home school is not an option, and the scholarship can only be used for tuition and fees at registered private schools. A student co-enrolled in a home school and a registered private school can have the award applied to the private school's tuition and fees, but not to home-school costs.
This matters because many websites and forums still describe the Opportunity Scholarship loosely, and families sometimes plan around it before reading the rules. The programme expanded in 2023 to remove the old income cap, which brought in many new families, but the expansion did not change the rule about home schools. The scholarship follows the student to a registered private school, not to home instruction.
Option 1: ESA+ for students with disabilities
ESA+ is the NCSEAA programme that includes full-time home schools. It is for students with disabilities, with awards of $9,000, or $17,000 for certain designated disabilities. NCSEAA's yearly Parent Guide lists what the account allows. If your student may qualify, read NCSEAA's eligibility rules and watch for the next application period.
ESA+ eligibility is based on the student's disability, not on household income alone, and NCSEAA sets the documentation it needs. Families who are not sure whether their student qualifies should read NCSEAA's eligibility page and ask NCSEAA directly rather than relying on another family's experience.
Option 2: Career and College Promise from 11th grade
Career and College Promise gives registered home-school juniors and seniors tuition-free community college courses if they have a 2.8 unweighted GPA or college-ready scores. It is the biggest saving most home-school families will find. A small number of freshmen and sophomores qualify through the gifted and college-ready route.
For most home-school families, CCP is where the real saving lies. Two years of CCP courses can add up to a large share of a first year of college, with tuition paid by the state. The trade-off is that the student has to meet the entry rule, keep a 2.0 college GPA and work to the college's term dates and deadlines.
- 11th-12th grade: 2.8 GPA or college-ready scores
- 9th-10th grade: gifted, college-ready, approvals
- Tuition paid by the state for eligible students
Option 3: 9th and 10th grade courses the family chooses
Before CCP, families pay for courses themselves. Some choose self-paced college-level courses with ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations, both for the high school transcript and for possible college credit later. Credit appears only when a college posts it via a college transcript, so ask the college you expect your student to attend in writing first.
Pick courses that also do a job on the high school transcript, so the work is never wasted. Composition, algebra, biology and history fit that test. Keep each course's syllabus, completion record and grade, because a college reviewing outside credit will ask for them.
| Option | Price checked 15 Nov 2026 |
|---|---|
| Sophia Learning | $99 a month, or $799 a year |
| StraighterLine | $99 a month plus $79 a course |
| UPI Study homeschool plan | See the homeschool plan page |
Putting the options together
A common plan: strong core courses in 9th and 10th grade, a few college-level courses for students who are ready, a clean transcript with an unweighted GPA, then CCP in 11th and 12th grade. Families of students with disabilities check ESA+ in parallel. Each step has its own rules and dates, so write them down and confirm them with NCSEAA and the community college.
Write the plan on one page: each school year, the courses, the expected GPA, any test dates, and the CCP application window. Review it each summer. A one-page plan makes it easier to talk with the community college's CCP coordinator, and it shows quickly whether the student is on track for the 11th grade entry rule.
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
Can I co-enrol my child to get the Opportunity Scholarship?
NCSEAA says a student co-enrolled in a home school and a registered private school can have the award applied to the private school's tuition and fees. It does not cover home-school costs. Ask the private school and NCSEAA how co-enrolment works before you plan around it.
How much is the Opportunity Scholarship?
Awards depend on household income and are set each year by NCSEAA. Because it does not cover full-time home school, the amount matters only if your student attends a registered private school. Check NCSEAA's current award chart.
What is the cheapest way to earn college credit as a homeschooler in NC?
For most students, Career and College Promise from 11th grade, because tuition is paid by the state for eligible students. Before that, families compare self-paced options and confirm with a college in writing which credits it would post.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Introduction to Psychology
Self-paced online Introduction to Psychology course (Psychology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Intro to Biology 1
Self-paced online Intro to Biology 1 course (Biology 100). 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
- NCSEAA: Opportunity Scholarship FAQ (official)Full-time home school is not an option for the Opportunity Scholarship; it applies only to tuition and fees at registered private schools; co-enrolled students' awards go to the private school's tuition and fees (read via NCSEAA search extract). Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- NCSEAA: The Education Student Accounts (ESA+ Program) (official)ESA+ base award $9,000, or $17,000 for certain designated disabilities; full-time home-school students may apply the whole award to allowable expenses; 2026-27 offers were made on 21 Aug 2026 (read via NCSEAA search extract; the page returned 403). Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- 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.