Homeschool benefits: Southern Arkansas University Tech
Southern Arkansas University Tech (SAU Tech) lets homeschooled students take Rocket High concurrent college courses for half the normal cost of an SAU Tech course; at 2026-27 Arkansas rates of $179 per credit hour in tuition and fees, that is about $268.50 for a three-credit course instead of $537. Homeschoolers can follow the Transfer or Career Technical pathway, up to 11 credit hours a semester.
Who qualifies
Is a homeschooled high school student
SAU Tech welcomes homeschooled students to Rocket High through concurrent credit options, and both pathways are open to them.
Has placement scores
ACT, Accuplacer, SAT, or similar placement scores are required for concurrent courses and must be sent with the registration form.
Completes both forms
Submit the online Application for Admission and the Rocket High Registration Packet, signed by your student, a parent, and a school official, by the registration deadline.
Attends orientation
Your student must complete the concurrent enrollment orientation before the first course starts.
What it is worth
SAU Tech's 2026-27 rates for Arkansas residents are $120 tuition plus $59 in per-credit fees, $179 per credit hour, and homeschoolers pay half the normal cost.
- Full cost, one credit hour
- $179
- Half cost, one credit hour
- $89.50
- Full cost, three-credit course
- $537
- Half cost, three-credit course
- $268.50
- Half cost, 11 credit hours
- $984.50
SAU Tech's page does not publish the exact homeschool rate, and its registration packet says campus courses can carry full tuition while online courses carry half tuition and fees, so ask the Rocket High office what your student's courses will cost before registering.
From applying to keeping it
- Before you apply
Ask about courses
Email lwilliam@sautech.edu for the current class list and homeschool options, including online, hybrid, and campus Career Academy courses.
- Apply
Submit the application
Complete SAU Tech's online Application for Admission by the date SAU Tech sets.
- By the registration deadline
Turn in the packet and scores
Send the signed Registration Packet with placement scores. Late forms and forms without scores are not processed.
- Before classes
Attend orientation
Complete the concurrent enrollment orientation before beginning a course.
- Each semester
Pay by the deadline
Pay tuition and fees at the Business Office or by phone with a credit or debit card. Payment is due every semester.
What it pays for
Covered
- Transfer Pathway courses toward a degree
- Career Technical Pathway training
Not covered
- Books and course-related expenses
- More than 11 credit hours a semester
- CTE course fee of $75 per course, where it applies
Good to know
Homeschoolers pay half the usual rate
A three-credit Rocket High course costs a homeschool family about $268.50, before any course fees. SAU Tech says homeschoolers pay half of what is normally charged, and the 2026-27 Arkansas rate is $179 per credit hour.
Who to contact
The Rocket High office answers questions about homeschool participation, class lists, and registration.
lwilliam@sautech.edu 870-574-4476 Rocket High
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Arkansas
You must file the annual notice of intent by August 15. If withdrawing a child from public school after August 15, file at least five school days before the withdrawal, unless an exception applies.
Arkansas sets these rules:
- Subjects: Arkansas does not require specific subjects or a particular curriculum.
- Testing: Arkansas does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
- Records: Arkansas does not require homeschool records.
- Teachers: Arkansas does not require a teaching certificate or degree to homeschool your own child.
Arkansas also has an education savings account that home-educated students can use.
- The Education Freedom Account pays 90% of the state's per-student foundation funding for students in private school or home school, under each year's application rules.
Read the Arkansas homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Arkansas
Questions parents ask
- Can my student take Rocket High courses online?
- Yes, select courses are offered online or hybrid. Online courses also carry a $25 per credit hour internet course fee at full price.
- Who signs the school official line for a homeschooler?
- SAU Tech does not say. The registration packet asks for a school official's signature along with the student's and a parent's, so ask the Rocket High office at 870-574-4476 who signs for a homeschool student.
- Will these grades follow my student to college?
- Yes. Concurrent credits become part of your student's permanent college record and can affect future admission and federal aid.
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.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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