Homeschool benefits and savings in Garrett County

Tucker Community Foundation's Gary A. Wilson Memorial Scholarship helps families pay for Christian schooling, including a homeschool program built on Christian educational principles, for students in grades K-12. Garrett County, Maryland is in the foundation's service area; the 2026 application was postmarked by March 6, 2026, and the form asks you to state your costs and what you need. Other options include college classes and scholarships.

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

Benefits in Garrett County

1. Tucker Community Foundation homeschool scholarship route
2. Garrett College homeschool dual-enrollment tuition discount
3. Garrett College County Scholarship for homeschool graduates

Tucker Community Foundation homeschool scholarship route

Who qualifies

1. Homeschools with Christian principles

   The Wilson application is for students who plan to attend a Christian school or a home school program employing Christian educational principles and values. You name the program and give its address.

2. Shows financial need

   The form asks for the expected cost of the schooling and how much you need to cover it, and lists everyone in your household with their ages.

3. Explains the choice

   For grades 9-12 your student writes a short statement on why they want Christian schooling; for grades K-8 a parent writes it.

4. Lives in the service area

   Garrett County, Maryland is one of the counties Tucker Community Foundation serves from Parsons, West Virginia. The Wilson form does not name a county limit, so confirm Garrett County applicants are eligible when you call.

What awards look like

Tucker Community Foundation publishes these figures on its scholarships and Garrett County pages; the Wilson form itself sets no fixed award.

Range of endowed fund awards

$500-$8,000

Average award per student

$1,687

Garrett County recipients' awards in 2025

10

Total to Garrett County in 2025

$17,700

Wilson award amount

Not published

The foundation does not publish what the Wilson scholarship itself pays, so ask how much it awarded last year before you count on it.

From applying to the award

1. Winter

   Get the year's form

   Download the Gary A. Wilson Memorial Scholarship application from the foundation's scholarships page. The 2026 form is still posted; check for a 2027 version.

2. Before you send it

   Add the statement and photo

   Attach the statement of why you want Christian schooling and a headshot of your student, emailed to the scholarships address if you can.

3. By early March

   Mail the application

   Send it to Tucker Community Foundation, P.O. Box 491, Parsons, WV 26287. The 2026 form had to be postmarked by March 6, 2026.

4. After an award

   Report other scholarships

   Award winners must tell the foundation about any other scholarships they receive.

What it pays for

Covered

• Christian school costs
• A homeschool program employing Christian educational principles

Not covered

• Homeschool programs without a Christian educational basis
• Applications postmarked after the due date

Who to contact

The foundation office in Parsons, West Virginia runs the scholarship program and answers questions about the forms and who is eligible.

scholarships@tuckerfoundationwv.org 304-478-2930 Scholarships page and forms

Garrett College homeschool dual-enrollment tuition discount

Who qualifies

1. Certified homeschool student

   The Garrett County Board of Education certifies your student as homeschooled, within a birth-date window it sets each year.

2. Lives in Garrett County

   Your student must be a U.S. citizen living in Garrett County.

3. Takes college-level courses

   Only college-level courses are covered; remedial coursework is not.

4. Is admitted by Garrett College

   Garrett College Admissions decides dual enrollment, working with Board of Education guidance staff.

What a class costs you

Garrett College's 2026-27 in-county rate is $99 tuition plus a $49 combined fee per credit; the dual enrollment scholarship pays half the tuition and all of the combined fee.

Full price per credit

$148

You pay per credit

$49.50

One 3-credit class, full price

$444

One 3-credit class, you pay

$148.50

Two 3-credit classes, you pay

$297

Registration fee per semester

$25

Course fees vary by class and are listed in the course schedule, and the program depends on available funding.

How to enroll

1. Before you apply

   Confirm certification

   Make sure the Garrett County Board of Education certifies your student as homeschooled.

2. Step 1

   Apply to Garrett College

   Apply for admission as a dual enrollment student; Admissions makes the decision with Board of Education guidance staff.

3. Each semester

   Register and pay your share

   Pay half the tuition, the $25 registration fee, course fees, and textbooks.

4. After high school

   Bring a 2.5 GPA

   If your student later enrolls at Garrett College, the full scholarship requires a 2.5 overall GPA from dual enrollment courses.

What it pays for

Covered

• 50% of in-county tuition
• 100% of combined fees
• Approved college-level credit hours

Not covered

• Registration fee
• Course fees
• Textbooks
• Remedial courses
• Repeated courses

The dual enrollment scholarship depends on available funding, and the college announces the funding percentage before each semester.

Who to contact about dual enrollment

Garrett College Admissions decides dual enrollment and answers questions about eligibility and registration.

301-387-3000 Scholarship and dual enrollment page

Garrett College County Scholarship for homeschool graduates

Who qualifies

1. Certified homeschool graduate

   The Garrett County Board of Education must certify your student as homeschooled, with a birth date inside the window the Board sets each year.

2. Two years of county residency

   Your student must be a documented Garrett County resident for two full years before graduating. Garrett College decides residency.

3. Files three applications

   Submit the FAFSA, the Garrett College admissions application, and the scholarship application by their deadlines.

4. Enrolls full time

   Take at least 12 credits each fall and spring in an approved credit degree or certificate program.

What it is worth

Garrett College charges Garrett County residents $99 tuition plus a $49 combined fee per credit hour for 2026-27.

One 3-credit class

$444

Full-time term (12 credits)

$1,776

Term at 15 credits

$2,220

One year at 15 credits a term

$4,440

Program cap (64 credits)

$9,472

Individual course fees and the $25 per semester registration fee are listed separately from the combined fee; ask Financial Aid which of them the scholarship pays.

From applying to keeping it

1. Senior year

   Apply and file the FAFSA

   Submit the FAFSA, the Garrett College application, and the scholarship application by the deadlines the college sets.

2. First fall

   Enroll full time

   Start with at least 12 credits in an approved degree or certificate program.

3. Every semester

   Keep a 2.5 GPA

   A semester GPA below 2.5 ends eligibility until you retake courses at your own cost or win a written appeal to the Director of Financial Aid.

4. Within three years

   Graduate or transfer

   Eligibility lasts three years from the first term at Garrett College, with no requirement to enroll continuously.

What it pays for

Covered

• Tuition
• Combined fees
• Required developmental courses
• Up to 64 credit hours

Not covered

• Repeated courses
• Part-time terms
• Coursework at partner institutions

Who pays first

1. Federal Pell Grant
2. Howard P. Rawlings Educational Excellence Awards
3. Maryland Community College Promise
4. Garrett County Scholarship

It is a last-dollar award: Pell, Educational Excellence, and Promise awards come off the bill first, while outside grants and Garrett College Foundation awards are not counted against it.

Garrett College and the County Commissioners do not guarantee full funding in any semester, and the college announces the funding percentage before each term.

Who to contact

Garrett College's main line connects you to Financial Aid, which runs the scholarship and hears written appeals from students who lose eligibility.

301-387-3000 Garrett County Scholarship page

Homeschool rules and statewide help in Maryland

You must submit the prescribed consent form to the local superintendent at least 15 days before starting. District-supervised families verify continuation before each school year and report status changes. A qualifying nonpublic supervisor reports continuing enrollment and status changes to the district.

Maryland sets these rules:

• Subjects: Provide regular, thorough instruction of sufficient duration in English, math, science, social studies, art, music, health, and PE. A qualifying nonpublic-supervised program must provide regular, thorough instruction in the usual public-school studies.
• Testing: State standardized testing is voluntary. District-supervised programs have portfolio reviews at semester ends, with no more than three reviews per school year.
• Records: For district supervision, keep instructional materials and work samples demonstrating required instruction; college report cards or transcripts may substitute for those courses. Qualifying nonpublic supervision follows COMAR’s separate requirements.
• Teachers: No state teaching credential required for the parent providing home instruction.

Read the Maryland homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Maryland

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