Homeschool benefits: Colby Community College

The Colby Commitment Scholarship pays tuition, fees, and books for Colby Community College classes taken in high school, through the spring 2027 semester. Every junior and senior at a home school in Thomas County qualifies, as do students on free or reduced-price meals in 14 northwest Kansas counties; everyone else pays $50 per credit hour, books included.

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

Who qualifies

1. Junior or senior in Thomas County

   All juniors and seniors attending any public, private, or home school in Thomas County qualify for the full scholarship, regardless of income.

2. Meets free meal income guidelines

   Students at schools in Cheyenne, Decatur, Gove, Graham, Logan, Norton, Phillips, Rawlins, Rooks, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas, Trego, or Wallace County are eligible based on family adjusted gross income under Kansas free and reduced-price meal guidelines.

3. Enrolls through Colby

   The scholarship applies to Colby Community College classes taken as a high school concurrent student.

What it is worth

Eligible students pay nothing for tuition, fees, and books; others pay $50 per credit hour, which includes tuition, fees, and books.

One 3-credit class, scholarship student

$0

One 3-credit class at $50 an hour

$150

Two classes (6 hours) at $50 an hour

$300

Four classes (12 hours) at $50 an hour

$600

The trustees renewed the program only through spring 2027 and will revisit it then, so ask the Registrar's Office before planning classes after that semester.

From applying to keeping it

1. Before you enroll

   Check your route

   Confirm whether your student qualifies as a Thomas County junior or senior, or through free and reduced-price meal income guidelines.

2. To enroll

   Contact the Registrar

   Call Colby's Registrar's Office at 785-460-5509 to enroll your student as a high school concurrent student.

3. Through spring 2027

   Take classes

   The scholarship covers tuition, fees, and books for eligible students through the spring 2027 semester.

4. Each year

   Watch for renewal

   Colby renews the Commitment Scholarship annually, and the trustees will review it again in spring 2027.

What it pays for

Covered

• Tuition
• Fees
• Books

Not covered

• Classes after spring 2027 unless renewed
• Full coverage for students who do not qualify

Colby's Board of Trustees renews the scholarship year to year; the April 20 renewal runs through the spring 2027 semester.

Good to know

• Families in the 14-county area may qualify

  Students at schools in the 14-county service area qualify if family income meets Kansas free and reduced-price meal guidelines. Ask the Registrar's Office what proof a homeschool family provides.

• Classes cost $50 per credit hour without it

  Your student can still take classes for $50 per credit hour, and that price includes tuition, fees, and books.

Who to contact

The Registrar's Office answers questions about Colby Commitment eligibility and enrollment.

registrar@colbycc.edu 785-460-5509 Colby Commitment page

Homeschool rules and statewide help in Kansas

You must register the school name, address, and records custodian with KSDE once, not annually. You must notify the previous school when transferring a student.

Kansas sets these rules:

• Subjects: Parents choose the curriculum. Instruction must be competent and substantially equivalent in time to the local public school term.
• Testing: Kansas does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
• Records: KSDE recommends complete progress records for transfers and college admission; it does not prescribe a homeschool portfolio or attendance-record format.
• Teachers: Courses must be taught by competent instructors; a state teaching license is not required.

Read the Kansas homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Kansas

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