Homeschool benefits and savings in Overland Park and Johnson County
Johnson County Community College (JCCC) guarantees at least a $1,000 CavGuarantee scholarship, paid as $500 in fall and $500 in spring, to Kansas and Kansas City metro high school and home-schooled graduates with an unweighted GPA of 3.25 or higher. Complete three steps before April 1 of the senior year and start full time the fall after graduation. Other options include library educator cards and resources and recreation and camp discounts.
Benefits in Overland Park and Johnson County
- Johnson County Community College CavGuarantee homeschool scholarship
- Johnson County Library homeschool educator card
- Johnson County Park and Recreation District scholarship
Johnson County Community College CavGuarantee homeschool scholarship
Who qualifies
Graduates from high school or homeschool
JCCC names home-schooled students alongside high school students who live in Kansas, or in the KC metro area and qualify for JCCC's Metro Rate tuition.
Has a 3.25 unweighted GPA
Your student must graduate with an unweighted GPA of 3.25 or higher, and you send an official seventh-semester transcript.
Starts the next fall
Enrollment must begin in the fall semester right after high school graduation, with at least 12 credit hours.
Seeks a degree or certificate
Your student must declare and work toward a degree or certificate, which can be set on the admission application.
What it is worth
CavGuarantee pays $500 each semester of the first year, set against JCCC's fall 2026 tuition and fees per credit hour.
- Fall semester payment
- $500
- Spring semester payment
- $500
- 12 hours, Johnson County resident ($106 an hour)
- $1,272
- 12 hours, other Kansas county ($128 an hour)
- $1,536
- 12 hours, Metro Rate ($158 an hour)
- $1,896
CavGuarantee does not stack with other JCCC institutional scholarships: if your student earns a larger one, it replaces the CavGuarantee.
From applying to keeping it
- By April 1 of senior year
Apply for admission
Submit the JCCC admission application and choose a degree or certificate program.
- By April 1 of senior year
Send the transcript
Submit your student's official seventh-semester high school transcript, which a homeschool parent prepares.
- By April 1 of senior year
Complete the scholarship application
Log in with the MyJCCC username and password from the acceptance email and complete the primary JCCC Scholarship Application.
- Fall after graduation
Enroll full time
Start at JCCC that fall with at least 12 credit hours toward a degree or certificate.
- End of fall semester
Keep a 2.0 GPA
Hold a cumulative JCCC GPA of at least 2.0 to receive the spring payment.
What it pays for
Covered
- $500 toward the first fall semester
- $500 toward the first spring semester
Not covered
- A second year, since the award does not renew
- Other JCCC institutional scholarships in the same year
- Part-time enrollment
Who to contact
The Financial Aid office answers questions about CavGuarantee eligibility and the JCCC Scholarship Application.
finaid@jccc.edu 913-469-3840 CavGuarantee page
Johnson County Library homeschool educator card
Who qualifies
Teaches in Johnson County
Individual teachers, childcare providers, and home school educators teaching in Johnson County can apply. The card is issued to an individual, not to a school or agency.
Uses it for teaching
The card is for educational purposes only, to borrow materials that support your curriculum.
Shows ID and address
Complete an application, show a physical photo ID, and verify your address.
What the card gives you
The terms come from Johnson County Library's card page and its borrowing and fees page.
- Educator Card checkout, physical items
- 5 weeks
- Educator Card checkout, eLibrary items
- 3 weeks
- Educator Card renewals
- Up to 5
- Regular card checkout for books
- 3 weeks
- Items out per account
- 150
- Card cost
- Free
There are no overdue fines, but items more than 30 days overdue are billed as lost, and a balance of $50 or more for over 30 days adds a $10 materials recovery fee.
How to get the card
- Before you go
Print the application
Download the Educator Card application and bring a physical photo ID and proof of your address.
- At the branch
Apply at the Questions desk
Turn in the application at your local branch so staff can verify your information.
- Each checkout
Borrow for five weeks
Physical items are due in five weeks and can be renewed up to five times if no one is waiting.
- After 1 year
Renew the card
Educator accounts expire after one year. Contact library staff to renew.
What it includes
Included
- Longer checkouts for physical materials
- Three-week eLibrary checkouts
- Up to five renewals per item
Not included
- Personal, non-teaching use
- Cards for schools or agencies
- Fees for lost or damaged items
Who to contact about the card
Library staff answer questions about Educator Cards, renewals, and accounts.
913-826-4600 Get a library card
Johnson County Park and Recreation District scholarship
Who qualifies
Lives or works in Johnson County
Include proof of residency, such as a utility bill, with either application.
Meets the income guideline
Families who get free or reduced-price school lunch qualify with their award letter. Everyone else uses the traditional application, which checks income against Kansas Department of Education reduced-price status.
Listed on your tax return
Each family member you want covered must appear on your income tax forms, unless they were born this year.
Foster children qualify automatically
A foster child living in Johnson County gets $200 for the year without income verification. Write "foster child" and the child's name on the lunch letter application.
What it is worth
JCPRD awards up to $200 per qualifying individual each calendar year while funds remain.
- One qualifying person
- Up to $200
- Four qualifying family members
- Up to $800
- Foster child in Johnson County
- $200
- Balance left on December 31
- Lost
- Moving funds to a sibling
- Not allowed
You cannot use scholarship funds through online pre-registration, because the website requires payment up front.
From applying to keeping it
- Before you apply
Gather documents
For the traditional application, collect the first two pages of last year's federal tax return, W-2s, the two latest pay stubs for each working adult, and a utility bill.
- Any time in the year
Submit an application
Upload the lunch letter or traditional application online, or bring paper copies to 7900 Renner Road, Shawnee Mission, KS 66219. Missing documents delay the decision.
- After approval
Register by phone or in person
Call 913-831-3359 or walk in, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and say you are using your scholarship.
- By December 31
Use the balance
Each class or event must start within the scholarship year, January 1 to December 31.
- Each January
Apply again
A new application and new documents are required every scholarship year.
What it pays for
Covered
- JCPRD classes
- JCPRD events
- JCPRD rentals
Not covered
- Online pre-registrations
- Programs that start after December 31
- Transfers to another person
- Balances carried into the next year
Awards are made only while scholarship funds remain available for the year.
Who to contact
JCPRD Registration answers scholarship and program questions and takes registrations that use scholarship funds.
913-831-3359 Scholarship interest form
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
Questions parents ask
- Which transcript do we send for the CavGuarantee?
- An official seventh-semester high school transcript, meaning grades through the first half of senior year. As the homeschool, you issue it.
- Can my student take a gap year before using the CavGuarantee?
- No. Enrollment must begin in the fall semester that starts immediately after high school graduation.
- How is the Educator Card different from a regular card?
- Physical items check out for five weeks instead of three, but renewals are capped at five instead of the usual ten. eLibrary items still check out for three weeks.
- Do we have to live in Johnson County for the Educator Card?
- Not for a regular card, which you can get without living in Johnson County. The Educator Card is for home school educators teaching in Johnson County.
- My child is homeschooled and has no school lunch letter. Can we apply for a JCPRD scholarship?
- Yes, if you live or work in Johnson County and qualify by income. Use the traditional application with tax forms, pay stubs, and a utility bill.
- Does every child in the family get $200 from JCPRD?
- Yes, if each child qualifies and is listed on your tax forms. Each qualifying person can receive up to $200 a calendar year while funds last.
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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