Homeschool benefits and savings in Gratiot, Isabella, and Montcalm Counties
Alma College's Tartan Edge sets one price of $18,500 a year for tuition, a standard double room, and meals for new students from Gratiot, Isabella, and Montcalm counties, and a Pell Grant or Michigan Achievement Scholarship can bring it as low as $5,605. Home-schooled students who live in those counties qualify; your student only has to apply to Alma College and file the FAFSA.
Who qualifies
Lives in an eligible county
Home-schooled students who reside in Gratiot, Isabella, or Montcalm county qualify, along with students who live in or graduated from high schools there.
Is a new Alma student
Tartan Edge is for new first-year and transfer students starting in fall 2026, winter 2027, or fall 2027.
Files the FAFSA
Your student must file the FAFSA for the entering year and again every year to keep the price.
Enrolls full time
Your student takes at least 12 credits each semester and stays continuously enrolled in the fall and winter semesters.
What it is worth
Alma College's Tartan Edge page lists these yearly prices for tuition, room, and meals; amounts can change with your FAFSA data.
- Tartan Edge alone
- $18,500
- With a Michigan Achievement Scholarship
- $13,000
- With a Federal Pell Grant
- $11,105
- With both
- $5,605
- Tartan Edge price in year two
- $20,000
Required fees such as orientation, student organization, and course fees are not in the price, and a housing option other than a standard double room costs extra.
From applying to keeping it
- Before you apply
Confirm your county
Make sure your family lives in Gratiot, Isabella, or Montcalm county; a home-schooled student qualifies by residence.
- Before your start term
Apply and file the FAFSA
Submit an application to Alma College for fall 2026, winter 2027, or fall 2027, and file the FAFSA for the entering year. There is no separate Tartan Edge application.
- Each semester
Stay full time
Take 12 to 15 credits as a degree-seeking student. Tuition for more than 18 credits is not covered.
- Each year
Renew
File the FAFSA again and meet the GPA and completion rate in Alma's Satisfactory Academic Progress policy. The award renews for up to six semesters or until a first bachelor's degree.
What it pays for
Covered
- Tuition up to 18 credits a semester
- A standard double room
- Meals
- Tuition for two spring terms
Not covered
- Required fees such as orientation and course fees
- Overload tuition above 18 credits
- Health insurance
- Housing other than a standard double room
- Other Alma-awarded scholarships
Tartan Edge replaces all other Alma aid, but state and federal aid such as the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and the Pell Grant still lower what you pay.
Good to know
Homeschooled students in three counties are eligible
Alma College names home-schooled students who reside in Gratiot, Isabella, or Montcalm county as eligible for Tartan Edge.
Who to contact
Admissions Counselor Lottie Lamey answers questions about Tartan Edge eligibility and applying.
carmanld@alma.edu 989-463-7297
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Michigan
No state report under the parent-led homeschool exemption, MCL 380.1561(3)(f). The nonpublic-school route has separate reporting; an annual membership report is required for eligibility for auxiliary services.
Michigan sets these rules:
- Subjects: Under exemption (f), provide an organized program in reading, spelling, math, science, history, civics, literature, writing, and English grammar. The nonpublic-school route requires subjects comparable to local public schools.
- Testing: Michigan does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
- Records: No prescribed homeschool portfolio or attendance-record format under exemption (f). Keep progress records for transfers; the nonpublic-school route has separate reporting requirements.
- Teachers: Under exemption (f), the instructor must be the child’s parent or legal guardian; no degree or teaching credential is required. MDE requires a reporting nonpublic homeschool parent to have at least a bachelor’s degree unless a sincerely held religious objection applies.
Read the Michigan homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Michigan
Questions parents ask
- Does Tartan Edge stack with other Alma scholarships?
- No. Recipients are not eligible for other Alma-awarded scholarships, though state and federal aid still apply.
- Will the price go up?
- Yes, by a flat $1,500 a year for tuition, room, and board, so you know the cost in advance.
- What if my student graduates early?
- Any remaining eligibility is forfeited when your student graduates early.
- Can my student live off campus or in a single room?
- Yes, but at extra cost. The price includes a standard double room, and any other housing option adds a cost that Tartan Edge does not cover.
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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