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 →WisconsinHomeschool
Why Wisconsin homeschoolers pay for college courses
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Wisconsin homeschoolers usually pay for college courses because the Early College Credit Program, under Wis. Stat. 118.55(2), names public high school pupils and pupils attending a private school, not students in a home-based programme. A Wisconsin technical college charges $196.05 per transfer credit in 2026-27, so families often look at self-paced college-level courses at home first.
Who the Early College Credit Program names
Section 118.55(2) of the Wisconsin statutes sets out who may take part. It names any public high school pupil who is not attending a technical college under a separate statute, and any high school pupil attending a private school. In the programme, the school's governing body and the pupil each have set shares of tuition, depending on the course.
A home-based private educational program is defined separately in Wisconsin law, and DPI treats it separately: parents file PI-1206, not a private school report. Because 118.55(2) does not name home-based students, a homeschool family should not plan around the programme. If you want to try, ask the college and your school district directly and keep the answer in writing.
What paying directly costs
A family can usually enrol a student directly at a college as a non-degree student and pay its rate. The table shows what that looks like at a Wisconsin technical college at the 2026-27 resident rate for transfer courses.
| Plan | Credits | Tuition before fees |
|---|---|---|
| One course | 3 | About $588 |
| Two courses a term | 6 | About $1,176 |
| Two terms a year | 12 | About $2,353 |
| Two years of two courses a term | 24 | About $4,705 |
Ways families spend less
Families who pay themselves tend to mix options. The point is to pay campus rates only where the campus adds something, such as a lab science, and use lower-cost options for the rest.
- Self-paced college-level courses at home for English, maths and history.
- A single campus course for a lab science, where the college may want its own lab.
- Courses that serve the 875 hours and college plans at the same time.
- A written check with the target college before paying for anything.
What self-paced courses give you
Self-paced ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses let a student study at home, on the family's timetable, and finish when ready. They fit the PI-1206 model well because DPI leaves the curriculum to the parent. The course goes on the homeschool transcript as high school credit, and a college may later record it via a college transcript.
UPI Study is not accredited, and no college is bound to add the credit. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit, but the college your student finally attends decides for itself. That is why the written check matters more than the price.
A simple plan for one year
Pick two courses that cover required subjects, such as English Composition 1 for language arts and US History 1 for social studies. Ask two or three likely colleges in writing how they treat recommended credit. Enrol only once the replies are in, and record each course on your homeschool transcript with the hours spent. The full rule is on the page Wisconsin homeschool college courses: college-level work without campus tuition.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the college your student plans to attend in writing how it treats ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit before you enrol.
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 a homeschooler enrol directly at a Wisconsin technical college?
Many technical colleges admit younger non-degree students, each under its own rules and with its own age or placement requirements. Ask the college's admissions office what it needs from a homeschool student, and expect to pay the full per-credit rate plus fees.
Why not just take everything at a college?
Some families do, but at $196.05 per transfer credit in 2026-27 the cost adds up quickly over two years. Mixing campus courses for lab sciences with self-paced courses for other subjects keeps the total lower, as long as the target college confirms the credit in writing.
Do self-paced courses count toward the 875 hours?
DPI asks for at least 875 hours of instruction a year and leaves the curriculum to the parent. Time spent on a college-level course in a required subject is part of that instruction. Keep a simple log of hours for your own records.
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
One payment covers self-paced college-level courses for a home-based student.
Sources
- Wis. Stat. 118.55: Early College Credit Program (official)118.55(2): eligible are public high school pupils not attending a technical college under s. 38.12(14) and high school pupils attending a private school; home-based private educational programs are not named. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Wisconsin DPI: Home-based private educational programs (official)Parents complete PI-1206 every school year; at least 875 hours of instruction a year; a sequentially progressive curriculum in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and health; DPI does not provide or approve curriculum; completers do not receive a public or private high school diploma. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- WTCS Tuition and Fee Guide FY 2026-27 (official)Resident program fee for 2026-27: $196.05 per credit for Associate of Arts/Science (transfer) courses. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.