Homeschool benefits: St. Lucie County School District
Through St. Lucie Public Schools' agreement with Indian River State College (IRSC), home education students can take college courses through dual enrollment with the application fee, tuition, and lab fees waived and required textbooks free. Your child qualifies with proof of home education enrollment from the district and college-ready test scores; the spring 2027 application deadline is December 1, 2026.
Who qualifies
Enrolled in home education
Submit proof of enrollment in a home education program from your local school district, or proof of registration with an eligible scholarship-funding organization for Personalized Education Program (PEP) students.
Signs the agreements
Upload the Dual Enrollment Program Agreement (Form 508) and the Home School Dual Enrollment Agreement, signed by your student, the high school designee, and a parent if your student is under 18.
Has college-ready scores
Take the P.E.R.T. or send official ACT or SAT scores, or other accepted placement scores, no more than two years old.
Verifies status each year
Home school and PEP students complete the onboarding paperwork for the annual verification of their status.
What it is worth
IRSC charges a $20 application fee and estimates $1,380 per full-time term in tuition and fees for a Florida resident in an associate degree.
- Application fee (others pay $20)
- $0
- Tuition and lab fees
- $0
- Required textbooks
- $0
- Full-time term at IRSC's estimate
- $1,380 waived
- Repeating a failed or withdrawn course
- All costs
A student who fails or withdraws from a course cannot take more dual-enrollment classes until retaking it, and the family pays all costs for that repeat.
From applying to keeping it
- Before you apply
Plan courses
Work out your student's GPA and the credits still needed for your homeschool diploma, and check IRSC's Dual Enrollment Approved Courses list.
- By Dec. 1, 2026
Apply to IRSC
Submit the IRSC application with the signed agreements, proof of home education enrollment, and test scores for spring 2027.
- By Dec. 15, 2026
Register for classes
Complete the Dual Enrollment Verification Form (DE 68) each semester, then register on the River Portal and send Form 68 to the assigned advisor.
- Before the term starts
Get the textbooks
Home school and PEP students order and pick up textbooks through the IRSC Bookstore by the published deadline; in fall 2026 it was September 11.
What it pays for
Covered
- IRSC application fee
- Tuition
- Laboratory fees
- Required textbooks
Not covered
- Repeats of failed or withdrawn courses
- Courses not on the Dual Enrollment Approved Courses list
Who to contact
IRSC's Dual Enrollment office answers application, registration, and textbook questions for every campus.
DE@irsc.edu IRSC dual enrollment page
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Florida
You must file the initial written notice with the county superintendent within 30 days of starting. You must file a termination notice and the annual evaluation within 30 days of ending the program.
Florida sets these rules:
- Subjects: Parent-directed instruction; Florida law does not prescribe a specific curriculum for a home education program.
- Testing: Provide an annual educational evaluation using one statutory method; a portfolio review is one option, and an alternate method requires agreement with the district superintendent.
- Records: Keep a portfolio with an activities log made as instruction occurs, reading-material titles, and work samples. Preserve it for two years and make it available for inspection on 15 days’ written notice.
- Teachers: Florida does not require a teaching certificate or degree to homeschool your own child.
Florida also has two education savings accounts that home-educated students can use.
- The Personalized Education Program funds a Florida K-12 student's approved education costs through a scholarship organization, with income and priority rules. It is separate from registering a home education program with your district.
- The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities funds approved education and disability costs for a student with a qualifying disability, including one in a registered home education program. The award depends on the disability and its services.
Read the Florida homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Florida
Questions parents ask
- Can a homeschooled child in St. Lucie County take IRSC dual enrollment?
- Yes. St. Lucie Public Schools says the program is open to eligible public, charter, private, and home education students, and IRSC has a separate application route for home school and PEP students.
- Where does a homeschooled student get IRSC dual enrollment textbooks?
- From the IRSC Bookstore, not the district Book Depot. IRSC sets up a bookstore account once your paperwork is processed, and bookstore accounts opened August 10, 2026 for fall.
- Who signs as the high school designee for a homeschooled student?
- You do. IRSC treats the parent or guardian as the school designee for home school and PEP students.
- When can we start?
- Spring 2027 registration opened October 12, 2026. Apply by December 1 and register by December 15, 2026.
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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