Homeschool benefits and savings in the Contra Costa Community College District
Diablo Valley College (DVC) waives tuition, $46 per unit, for homeschooled high school students who take up to 11 units a semester through concurrent enrollment, worth up to $506 a semester. Your student needs a current California Private School Affidavit on file and a Special Admissions form that only a parent signs. Other options include library educator cards and resources.
Diablo Valley College homeschool concurrent enrollment
Who qualifies
Is a high school student
Concurrent enrollment is open to high school students from any high school, including homeschooled students. Pick "Homeschool" where the form asks for a high school.
Has a current Private School Affidavit
DVC must have your current California Private School Affidavit on file before your student can register. You submit it with the Special Admissions form.
Files the form each term
The Special Admissions Recommendation form lists the exact courses and is signed by your student and a parent. Forms with no courses listed are not accepted.
Is a California resident
Nonresident students pay $401 more per unit unless they qualify for the Senate Bill (SB) 150 waiver for high school students.
What it is worth
DVC's enrollment fee is $46 per unit, and California high school students in concurrent enrollment do not pay it.
- One 3-unit class
- $138
- Two 3-unit classes
- $276
- 9 units
- $414
- 11 units, the semester limit
- $506
- Fall and spring at 11 units each
- $1,012
Your student still pays the Student Union fee of $1 per unit (at most $10 a year, Pleasant Hill courses only), the voluntary $2 Student Representation fee, materials fees, textbooks, and Pleasant Hill parking.
From applying to registering
- Before the term
Apply to DVC
Submit the college application through OpenCCCApply and wait for acceptance. A student who has not taken a class in the district for a year must reapply.
- After acceptance
Send the Special Admissions form
Submit it online through InSite, choose Homeschool, list each course, and attach the Private School Affidavit.
- Before registration opens
Clear prerequisites
Request prerequisite clearance early, because review takes 2-3 business days. Prerequisites cannot be waived, and DVC does not accept homeschool transcripts to clear them.
- At registration
Register in InSite
Your student can register only for the courses listed on the form, and only if the class is open.
- Every semester
File a new form
The Special Admissions form must be submitted again each term your student takes classes.
What it pays for
Covered
- Tuition of $46 per unit
- Up to 11 units a semester
Not covered
- Student Union fee
- Student Representation fee
- Textbooks and materials fees
- Pleasant Hill parking permits
- Nonresident fees without an SB 150 waiver
Who to contact
The Early College Credit office, in Administration Building room 214 on the Pleasant Hill campus, handles concurrent enrollment for high school students.
earlycollegecredit@dvc.edu Concurrent enrollment steps
Contra Costa County Library homeschool institution card
Who qualifies
Teaches as a homeschooling educator
Homeschooling educators are eligible, along with school staff and community service organization volunteers. Show a homeschooling affidavit or documentation of homeschool affiliation with an educational institution.
Lives in California
The Institution Card requires California residency.
Brings ID and address proof
Bring a photo ID, proof of your home and work addresses, and the printed Institution Card form with your signature.
Uses it for teaching
The account is for materials you use with your students, separate from your family's personal borrowing.
What the card gives you
The terms come from Contra Costa County Library's Teachers and Educators page and its account policies.
- Standard loan period
- 9 weeks
- Lucky Day items and some kits
- Shorter loans
- Renewals
- None
- Libby and OverDrive e-materials
- Included
- Account length
- 1 year
- Lost book, CD, or DVD
- Price or $25, plus $10
Because Institution items cannot be renewed, the library starts them on a long loan so holds from other patrons do not cut your use short.
How to get the card
- Before you go
Gather your documents
Print and sign the Institution Card form, and bring a photo ID, proof of address, and your homeschooling affidavit or affiliation document.
- At any branch
Open the account
Any Contra Costa County Library location can set up the Institution account next to your personal card.
- Each checkout
Return on time
Borrowing stops when an account owes $10 or more or has an item 30 or more days overdue.
- After one year
Re-verify in person
The Institution Card does not renew automatically. Bring current proof of homeschooling to keep it.
What it includes
Included
- Books and media for teaching
- Libby and OverDrive e-materials
- Databases, where vendors allow
Not included
- Renewals
- Computers and printing
- Various kits
- LINK+ and Discover & Go
- Kanopy and Hoopla
Good to know
You keep your regular card
Each eligible person can hold one personal account and one Institution account, and your personal card is still the one to use for LINK+, Kanopy, Hoopla, and Discover & Go.
Who to contact about the card
Library staff answer account questions by phone and through the online contact form.
Homeschool rules and statewide help in California
For the home-based private-school pathway, file the Private School Affidavit during the October 1–15 annual filing period. New schools may use the online filing system during its separate August 1–June 30 opening window. Other legal pathways have their own rules.
California sets these rules:
- Subjects: The private-school pathway must provide instruction in English in the branches of study required for public schools; the parent chooses the materials and course sequence.
- Testing: California does not impose a statewide standardized-testing requirement on private-school students.
- Records: Private schools must keep the records required by California law, including attendance and faculty information.
- Teachers: Private-school instructors must be capable of teaching; California does not issue a separate homeschool-parent credential.
Read the California homeschooling guide See statewide programs in California
Questions parents ask
- Does a principal have to sign DVC forms for a homeschooled student?
- No. Homeschooled students need only a parent signature, and DVC does not forward the form to a principal or designee.
- Can our homeschool transcript clear a DVC prerequisite?
- No. DVC does not use homeschool transcripts to clear prerequisites, so pick courses without one or meet it another way DVC accepts.
- Does Contra Costa County Library charge overdue fines?
- No daily fines. At 30 days overdue an item is set to lost, you are billed, and the account is blocked until it is settled.
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.
Find benefits for your ZIP code