Homeschool benefits and savings in Coconino County
Comet Promise pays whatever Coconino Community College (CCC) tuition is left after the Pell Grant and other aid, for up to four semesters, at $129 per credit hour for resident students in 2026-27. Your student qualifies after graduating from a Coconino County homeschool program or living in the county for 12 months, with household income of $65,000 or less and at least 6 credits a semester. Other options include recreation and camp discounts.
Coconino County Comet Promise
Who qualifies
Has a Coconino County connection
Your student graduated from a Coconino County high school or homeschool program, earned a GED while living in the county, or has lived in Coconino County for at least 12 months before the semester begins. Your student can still qualify when the tuition classification shows out-of-county.
Files the FAFSA or CCC form
Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the academic year, or the CCC Alternative Aid Application if your student cannot complete the FAFSA.
Meets the income rule
Household income must be $65,000 or less, and the Pell Grant must be missing or too small to cover tuition. Some students qualify automatically, including former foster youth up to age 26 and students experiencing homelessness.
Takes 6 or more credits
Your student must seek a degree or certificate, enroll in at least 6 credits each semester, and meet CCC's Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards.
What it is worth
CCC's resident rate for standard courses is $129 per credit hour for fall 2026, spring 2027, and summer 2027.
- One class (3 credits)
- $387
- Minimum semester (6 credits)
- $774
- Full-time semester (12 credits)
- $1,548
- Semester at 15 credits
- $1,935
- Four semesters at 12 credits
- $6,192
The $3 technology fee and $3 student activity fee per credit hour are separate from tuition, and specialty courses cost $5 to $722 more per credit hour, so ask Financial Aid whether a specialty rate counts as tuition the Promise pays.
From applying to keeping it
- Before the semester
Apply to CCC
Complete the free admission application on CCC's Apply Now page and choose a certificate or degree program.
- Before the semester
File for aid
Complete the FAFSA and your financial aid file, or the Comet Promise form if your parents cannot sign the FAFSA.
- At registration
Enroll in 6 or more credits
Register for at least 6 college credits. Financial Aid and Veterans Services checks eligibility and awards the funds.
- Each semester
Watch your CCC email
Updates on the award go to your student's CCC email, and Financial Aid monitors academic progress.
- Up to four semesters
Keep progress up
Meet SAP standards and keep enrolling in 6 or more credits to use all four semesters.
What it pays for
Covered
- CCC tuition left after other aid
- Up to four semesters
- Part-time study at 6 or more credits
Not covered
- Books
- Housing
- Transportation
- Fees and other charges that are not tuition
Who pays first
- Pell Grant
- Other grants and scholarships
- Comet Promise
Comet Promise is last-dollar aid: Pell, grants, and scholarships apply first, and the Promise pays the CCC tuition that remains.
Awards depend on each year's funding; when eligible students outnumber funds, CCC gives priority to first-generation students or those with significant financial need, students with public service or civic activity, and students from rural or remote parts of the county.
Who to contact
Financial Aid and Veterans Services verifies Comet Promise eligibility, awards the funds, and answers questions, Monday through Friday (Wednesday from 10 a.m.).
finaid@coconino.edu 928-226-4219 Comet Promise page
Coconino County Parks program financial assistance
Who qualifies
Lives in Coconino County
Assistance is offered to residents within Coconino County.
Enrolls a child in a program
The assistance applies to youth enrolling in county recreation programs.
Sends the application packet
Fill in the Program Financial Assistance Guidelines and Application and attach copies of the eligibility documents it lists.
Applies while funds last
Assistance is given based on available funds, which the Friends of Coconino County Parks help provide.
What it is worth
The limits come from Coconino County Parks and Recreation's Program Financial Assistance page.
- Most recreation programs
- Up to 50% off
- Yearly cap per household
- $140
- Facility rentals
- Not eligible
- Out-of-area and overnight trips
- Not eligible
- League registrations
- Not eligible
The cap is per household, not per child, so with several children you may reach $140 quickly; ask the coordinator how much of the cap you have used.
From applying to using it
- Before you register
Read the guidelines
Download the Program Financial Assistance Guidelines and Application from the county's Program Financial Assistance page.
- When you apply
Send the packet
Email it to coordinator Joshua Stringham, mail it to 2446 Fort Tuthill Loop, Flagstaff, AZ 86005, or drop it off weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- After approval
Enroll your child
Use the assistance toward an eligible county recreation program, such as a clinic or class.
- Each year
Track the cap
Once your household has received $140 in a year, further programs are full price.
What it pays for
Covered
- Most county recreation programs
- Youth enrolling in programs
Not covered
- Facility rentals
- Out-of-area trips
- Overnight trips
- League registrations
Coconino County Parks and Recreation and the Friends of Coconino County Parks fund the assistance, and limited funds are why each household is capped at $140 a year.
Who to contact
Parks and Recreation staff answer questions and help families fill out the confidential application.
jstringham@coconino.az.gov 928-679-8000 Program Financial Assistance page
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Arizona
Within 30 days of starting, file an affidavit of intent and a certified birth certificate or other authorized ID with the county superintendent. The ID rule exempts homeless pupils. Within 30 days, notify the superintendent if you stop or file a new affidavit if you resume.
Arizona sets these rules:
- Subjects: Reading, grammar, math, social studies, and science required.
- Testing: Arizona does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
- Records: Arizona does not prescribe routine academic portfolios or attendance reports; required identity documentation is filed with the county superintendent.
- Teachers: Arizona does not require a teaching certificate or degree to homeschool your own child.
Arizona also has an education savings account that home-educated students can use.
- The Empowerment Scholarship Account pays about 90% of the state funding your child's district or charter school would have received, for curriculum, tutoring, and other approved expenses. Using it is a separate path from homeschooling under state law.
- TheHomeschoolingCompany is an approved vendor for it.
Read the Arizona homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Arizona
Questions parents ask
- Does my student have to go full time for Comet Promise?
- No. Unlike most Promise programs, Comet Promise accepts part-time students taking 6 or more credits per semester.
- Do we have to file the FAFSA for Comet Promise?
- Yes, unless your student is undocumented or a Dreamer. Students whose parents cannot sign the FAFSA complete the Comet Promise form instead.
- Can we use Coconino County fee assistance for a sports league?
- No. League registrations are ineligible, along with facility rentals and out-of-area or overnight trips.
- Will anyone else see the income information on our Coconino County application?
- No. The county says all financial assistance applications are confidential.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
College classes can cover part of high school. We teach the subjects your child needs alongside them, starting at the right level in each subject. We are an approved Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) vendor, so your ClassWallet balance can pay for it.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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