Homeschool benefits through Academy School District 20

Academy District 20's Home School Academy (HSA) runs weekly enrichment for K-12 homeschoolers, and its College Career Connection (CCC) program lets high school students take 3-11 college credit hours a semester with tuition paid, worth about $2,021 a semester at Pikes Peak State College's 2026-27 rate. Your student enrolls in HSA, which makes District 20 the sponsor, and you pay only college fees and any books.

By Andrew Garber, founder of TheHomeschoolingCompany. Reviewed August 25, 2026.

Who qualifies

1. Enrolled in Home School Academy

   Your high schooler must be in one of HSA's five high school programs: College Career Connection, Spark, Studio Art, Arts, or Set Design and Stage Crew. A district can only sponsor concurrent enrollment for its own enrolled students.

2. Accepted before D20 registration

   Apply to HSA first and complete the District 20 registration only after you are accepted. No School Choice application is needed.

3. Has strong recent grades

   Approval generally requires no grade below C in recent high school work and no grade below B in the subject of the college course, plus placement testing where the college requires it.

4. Joins the College Opportunity Fund

   Colorado's College Opportunity Fund (COF) stipend pays part of in-state tuition, and registering for it is required for concurrent enrollment.

What the free tuition is worth

Pikes Peak State College charges in-state students $183.75 per credit hour after the College Opportunity Fund stipend for 2026-27.

One 3-credit class

$551.25

Two classes (6 credits)

$1,102.50

Three classes (9 credits)

$1,653.75

11 credits, the semester maximum

$2,021.25

College fees remain yours: at Pikes Peak State College they are $17.32 per credit hour plus $17.95 registration and $10.48 bus pass a term, and taking classes at two colleges means paying both colleges' fees.

From enrolling to college classes

1. By October 29, 2026, noon

   Apply to Home School Academy

   New families submit the HSA application in the general window, ranking three program choices. Applications are first come, first served, and accepted families hear back within two business weeks.

2. Within two business days

   Accept and register

   Accept your HSA offer, then complete the District 20 registration.

3. Before the deadline

   Apply for college classes

   Submit the District 20 College and Career Services application. HSA lists November 1 for spring and April 1 for fall, while the district checklist describes a February 1 to April 15 window for the full year.

4. After approval

   Apply to the college and COF

   Apply to Pikes Peak State College, UCCS, or MSU Denver, sign up for the College Opportunity Fund, and work with the college's advisor to choose classes.

5. Each month

   Check in with your CCC teacher

   CCC students check in at least once a month, or meet weekly to set goals, instead of attending classes at HSA.

What it pays for

Covered

• College and career planning, FAFSA, and scholarship help
• SAT and ACT prep
• Monthly field trips

Not covered

• College fees
• Textbooks not included in the course
• Credit hours above 11 a semester

Concurrent enrollment classes count toward the 11-hour limit, but dual enrollment, CU Succeed Platinum, and Math Online do not.

Good to know

• The deadline depends on the semester

  The sources disagree. HSA lists November 1 for spring and April 1 for fall, while the district checklist lists February 1 to April 15, so email homeschool@asd20.org to confirm.

Who to contact

Home School Academy at 8707 Wolf Valley Dr. in Colorado Springs answers questions about HSA programs, enrollment, and College Career Connection.

homeschool@asd20.org 719-234-1900 College Career Connection

Homeschool rules and statewide help in Colorado

Give written notice to a Colorado school district 14 days before starting and each year the program continues. Notice is not required before age 6; instruction need not begin until age 7 or continue after age 16.

Colorado sets these rules:

• Subjects: Provide at least 172 days of instruction averaging four instructional contact hours daily, covering reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, and regular instruction in the U.S. Constitution.
• Testing: Academic evaluation in grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11: standardized test or evaluation by a qualified person.
• Records: Permanently keep attendance, test or evaluation results, and required immunization records; produce them on 14 days’ written notice when the superintendent has probable cause to believe the program is noncompliant.
• Teachers: Instruction is provided by a parent or legal guardian, or an adult relative designated by the parent; no teaching license is required.

Read the Colorado homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Colorado

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