🏫 Dual Enrollment & College for Tennessee Homeschoolers
College classes in high school, admission for homeschool graduates, and the state college aid Tennessee homeschoolers can earn — from our Tennessee guide and articles.
The Individualized Education Account: the option for homeschoolers
Who qualifies: K–12 students with an active Tennessee IEP that lists one of these as a primary or secondary disability when the application window closes: autism, deaf-blindness, deafness, developmental delay, hearing impairment, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, specific learning disability, traumatic brain injury or visual impairment. Starting in 2027–28, children in the TEIS Extended Option with a qualifying Part B eligibility report also qualify. The student must also have spent the previous full school year in a Tennessee public school, be entering kindergarten, have moved to Tennessee within the past year, or have had an IEA the year before. There is no income limit. Once in the IEA, the student cannot be enrolled in public school. (T.C.A. 49-10-1401 and following; SBE Rule 0520-01-11)
Other Tennessee programs: HOPE, dual enrollment and sports
HOPE Scholarship for homeschool graduates: Tennessee's lottery-funded HOPE Scholarship pays up to
,250 per full-time semester as a freshman and sophomore at four-year colleges (and two-year colleges with on-campus housing), rising to up to ,850 as a junior and senior. At two-year colleges it pays up to
,600 per semester. Homeschool GPAs aren't considered, so a homeschool graduate needs a 21 ACT composite on a single test date, or the matching SAT score (superscores not accepted). Another route is to finish at least two dual enrollment courses (six or more semester hours) while homeschooled, with at least a 3.0 in each course and overall. Apply by filing the FAFSA, and enroll within 16 months of graduating. The General Assembly Merit Scholarship asks for more: 29 ACT or 1330 SAT, plus dual enrollment, Governor's School, AP or CLEP results. (THEC/TSAC, collegefortn.org)
Dual Enrollment Grant: a lottery-funded grant for high school juniors and seniors taking college courses at eligible two- and four-year colleges (freshmen and up at a TCAT). The first five courses are covered at community college tuition plus a 5% access fee, and courses six through ten at
00 per credit hour (up to $600 a course). Students apply online by June 30 and keep a 2.0 college GPA. Homeschoolers who plan to use dual enrollment for HOPE should confirm eligibility with THEC/TSAC and the college.