Homeschool benefits and savings in Jefferson County
The Evolve502 Impact Scholarship pays whatever tuition and mandatory fees remain after federal and state aid at any Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) college or Simmons College of Kentucky, for up to six semesters. Graduates of an accredited Jefferson County home school program who get a Pell Grant qualify, and students from households at $47,000 or below also get a $1,100 Opportunity Grant each fall and spring.
Who qualifies
Lives in Jefferson County
Your student must live in Jefferson County, Kentucky, and may be asked to prove it.
Graduates from an accredited home school
Graduates of private, parochial, or accredited home school programs in Jefferson County qualify, as do students who earn a GED within 12 months of leaving one.
Files the FAFSA and gets Pell
Your student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and be awarded a Pell Grant.
Enrolls at a partner college
Any KCTCS college, including Jefferson Community and Technical College, or Simmons College of Kentucky.
What it is worth
KCTCS charges Kentucky residents $198 tuition plus an $8 mandatory fee per credit hour for 2026-27; the scholarship covers what aid leaves unpaid.
- One class (3 hours)
- $618
- Minimum term (9 hours)
- $1,854
- Full-time term (12 hours)
- $2,472
- One year at 12 hours a term
- $4,944
- 60 credit hours
- $12,360
- Opportunity Grant, fall and spring
- $2,200 a year
Because the scholarship is last-dollar, your Pell Grant pays tuition first; ask Evolve502 how much is left for the scholarship at your student's college.
From applying to keeping it
- Senior year
Apply to a partner college
Apply to a KCTCS college or Simmons College of Kentucky.
- Senior year
File the FAFSA
List your partner college on the FAFSA, then complete the five-minute Impact Scholarship application, which opens in mid-August.
- From April
Get a conditional award
Evolve502 reviews complete applications from April and emails conditional awards starting in late April, on a rolling basis.
- Each semester
Take 9 credit hours
Complete at least 9 credit hours in fall and spring, keep satisfactory academic progress, and meet monthly with your Student Support Coach.
- Each year
Renew
File the FAFSA again and keep receiving a Pell Grant.
What it pays for
Covered
- Tuition
- Mandatory fees
- Up to six developmental or ESL credit hours
Not covered
- Optional fees such as housing
- Aviation Fixed Wing and Helicopter Flight degrees
Who pays first
- Federal and state aid, including Pell
- Evolve502 Impact Scholarship
The Opportunity Grant is separate: it comes through your college account even when aid already covers tuition and can pay for books, transportation, healthcare, childcare, or food.
Good to know
A Pell Grant is required, not a GPA
Your student does not need a certain GPA, but must file the FAFSA and receive a Pell Grant.
Who to contact
Evolve502 answers questions about the Impact Scholarship and Opportunity Grants, including in Spanish.
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Kentucky
You must notify the local district superintendent annually. Current KDE guidance says within the first two weeks of the school year, or within two weeks of public-school withdrawal, for a child of compulsory attendance age.
Kentucky sets these rules:
- Subjects: Parents choose the curriculum for a noncertified homeschool. Certified private schools must teach in English, offer public-school subjects, and provide at least 1,062 hours over 170 days annually; KDE recommends those hours and days for other homeschools.
- Testing: Kentucky does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
- Records: Keep attendance records and scholarship reports showing completed courses and grades, available for inspection by pupil-personnel and KDE officials. Work-sample portfolios are recommended, not mandatory.
- Teachers: No state teacher certification requirement for parents teaching their own children in a noncertified homeschool.
Read the Kentucky homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Kentucky
Questions parents ask
- How does the Evolve502 Opportunity Grant work?
- Students from households at $47,000 or below get $1,100 each fall and spring, added to the student account by the college with no separate application.
- Which class year is the scholarship for now?
- The Class of 2027. The application for that class opens in mid-August.
- What if my student needs a semester off?
- One term off requires a reenrollment form, and a gap year requires an appeal form.
- Can my student enlist first?
- Yes. Students who enlist within 90 days of graduating can defer the scholarship while on active duty.
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