Homeschool benefits and savings in Newaygo County
The Newaygo County Area Promise Zone pays the tuition and mandatory fees left after grants for up to 62 credits at Muskegon Community College (MCC), or up to $5,000 a year and $20,000 in total at Ferris State University. Newaygo County homeschool graduates with a 2.5 unweighted GPA who live in the NC RESA service area qualify; the award is prorated from 20% to 100% by how many years of grades 7-12 your child spent in the county.
Who qualifies
Homeschools in Newaygo County
Complete the one-time Homeschool Acknowledgement Form to confirm your homeschool status with the Promise Zone, in addition to the scholarship application.
Lives in the NC RESA area
Your family must live in the Newaygo County Regional Educational Service Agency (NC RESA) service area. Attending a Newaygo County school through Schools of Choice from outside it does not qualify.
Earns a 2.5 unweighted GPA
Your student needs a final unweighted high school GPA of 2.5, or 2.0 for Promise Zone support toward an apprenticeship.
Files the FAFSA and starts promptly
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and begin using the scholarship within one year of graduating.
What it is worth
The Promise Zone prorates every award by the number of 7th-12th grade years your child was homeschooled or enrolled in school in the zone.
- 6 years
- 100%
- 5 years
- 90%
- 4 years
- 80%
- 3 years
- 60%
- 2 years
- 40%
- 1 year
- 20%
At MCC's 2026-27 out-county rate of $275 per contact hour plus $47.50 in technology and infrastructure fees per contact hour and a $35 registration fee, a 15-contact-hour semester costs $4,872.50, so ask MCC which rate applies to your address and ask the Promise Zone how proration works with your grants.
From applying to keeping it
- Senior year
File the homeschool form
Submit the one-time Homeschool Acknowledgement Form and the Promise Zone Scholarship application, and complete the FAFSA.
- Early March
Meet the application deadline
First-year applications were due March 2 in 2026. The Promise Zone has not posted the class of 2027 date, so ask before winter.
- By June 30
Get your eligibility notice
The Promise Zone emails award decisions to the address on the application.
- Early August
Attend orientation
A Promise Zone orientation is mandatory to keep the scholarship.
- Each year
Renew and stay full time
Submit the renewal form with an end-of-year unofficial transcript and a new FAFSA, attend fall and winter semesters back to back, and meet each college's Satisfactory Academic Progress rules.
What it pays for
Covered
- Ferris State educational expenses up to cost of attendance
- Support toward an approved apprenticeship
- A success coach each semester
Not covered
- Costs paid first by federal and state aid
- Summer courses at Ferris State
- Summer classes in the first college year without an approved appeal
- Part-time schedules, except pre-approved programs such as MCC nursing
Who pays first
- Federal and state financial aid
- Promise Zone scholarship
At MCC the Promise pays the remaining tuition and mandatory fees after need-based grants, and at Ferris State it is a mid-dollar award of $2,500 each in fall and winter that can go toward any cost of attendance.
Good to know
Four years in the county earns 80% of the award
A student with four years of grades 7-12 in the county gets 80% of the award. The share rises to 90% for five years and 100% for all six, and homeschool years count the same as public school years.
Start at MCC and finish at Ferris State
Your student can use up to 62 credits at MCC, then up to $5,000 a year at Ferris State for a maximum of $10,000 over up to three more years, including up to one year of deferment.
Who to contact
Promise Zone staff answer questions about eligibility, the Homeschool Acknowledgement Form, deadlines, and appeals.
apply@promise.zone 231-924-8888 How to apply
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 my student have to go full time?
- Yes. Promise Scholars attend full time, with 15 credits a semester recommended. Only pre-approved part-time programs, such as MCC nursing, are an exception.
- Should we use our 529 college savings first?
- No. The Promise Zone suggests saving 529 money for the junior and senior years of college, since the Promise covers the first two years or the equivalent of an associate degree.
- What if the Promise Zone says my student is not eligible?
- Submit an Appeal Request Form by August 1 for fall, December 1 for winter, or April 1 for summer.
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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