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 →VirginiaHomeschool
Community college, CLEP or NCCRS-recommended courses: a Virginia cost comparison
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Virginia dual enrollment cost for a homeschooler is usually the community college's own rate: $232.05 per credit at NOVA for Virginia residents in 2026-27, about $696 for a 3-credit course. Exams and self-paced courses can cost less, but each target college decides what it will take, so ask in writing first.
The community college route
As an independent dual enrollment student, a homeschooler takes a regular college course on campus or online and pays tuition and fees. At NOVA, that is $232.05 per credit for Virginia residents for Fall 2026 to Summer 2027, including the $22.50 per credit textbook programme, which students can opt out of.
The strength of this route is the transcript: the course goes straight onto a NOVA transcript with a grade, and most Virginia public colleges know how to read it. The cost adds up quickly across several courses.
Exam routes
CLEP and AP exams let a student show knowledge on one test. The fee is per exam, and some testing centres add a sitting fee, so check the current amounts with the testing organisation before you plan. The bigger question is policy: each college sets which exams it accepts and the score it needs, and some give no credit for a given exam.
Exams suit students who learn well from books and test well. They do not give a course grade, so they add less to a homeschool transcript than a graded course.
Self-paced courses with credit recommendations
Providers such as Sophia, Study.com and UPI Study sell self-paced courses that have ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations. The student finishes the course online, and the credit reaches a college transcript only when a college agrees to post it.
UPI Study's homeschool lifetime plan is $250 once per family and includes every course. TESU, UoPeople and Newlane are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; other colleges decide case by case. UPI Study is not accredited and its courses are not dual enrollment courses.
Side by side
Prices below come from each provider's own page on the date shown. They are not the whole cost: a self-paced route may add a college's fee to post the credit, and a community college course may add books if you opt out of the textbook programme.
| Route | Price | Date checked |
|---|---|---|
| NOVA, Virginia resident | $232.05 per credit (about $696 for 3 credits) | 2026-11-15 |
| UPI Study homeschool lifetime plan | $250 once per family, every course | 2026-11-15 |
| Study.com | $95 a month, two courses at a time | 2026-10-24 |
| Sophia Learning | $99 a month or $299 per 4 months | 2026-11-15 |
How to choose for each subject
Decide subject by subject. For a lab science or a course in your teen's future major, the community college's transcript may be worth the price. For general education such as writing, algebra, history and psychology, a lower-cost route may do the same job if the target college will take it.
Before paying for any route, write to the colleges your teen may attend. Ask whether they accept community college credit, which exams they take, and how they treat ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. Keep the replies; they decide which route is cheapest for your family.
- Lab sciences: community college
- Major courses: the route your target college prefers
- General education: compare all three
- Get each college's answer in writing
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask each college your teen may attend to confirm in writing how it treats each course before your teen enrols.
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
Is CLEP cheaper than dual enrollment in Virginia?
Per subject, an exam usually costs less than a 3-credit course at the community college rate. It only saves money if the target college accepts that exam at your teen's score, so check its policy first.
Which route looks best on a homeschool transcript?
A graded college course gives an outside grade, which admissions officers value. Exams show knowledge without a course grade. Many families mix routes and explain each on the transcript.
Does the $250 plan include a college transcript?
No. The plan covers UPI Study courses. College credit comes only via a college transcript from a partner college, which may charge its own fees and decides whether to post the credit.
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 →
US History 1
Self-paced online US History 1 course (HIST 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Every course, self-paced, for the life of the plan.
Sources
- Northern Virginia Community College: Tuition and Costs (official)Fall 2026, Spring 2027 and Summer 2027 per-credit charges for Virginia residents: tuition $202.05, student activities fee $4.00, auxiliary services fee $3.50, NOVA All Access fee $22.50 (covers textbooks, opt-out allowed), total $232.05 per credit. Out-of-state total $480.40 per credit. Rates set by the VCCS State Board on May 21, 2026. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Northern Virginia Community College: Dual Enrollment (official)Two routes: contract dual enrollment, NOVA classes at the student's high school during the regular school day, where students do not pay tuition; and independent dual enrollment, NOVA courses on campus or online for full college credit, where students are responsible for tuition and fees. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.