Homeschool benefits and savings in the Winona area
The College Opportunity Program pays the tuition and fees left after grants and scholarships for up to 70 credits at Minnesota State College Southeast, plus $500 a year for books, tools, and supplies. Homeschool graduates from 2025 through 2028 who live in the Winona Area Public Schools district qualify, with no income limit.
Who qualifies
Graduates 2025 through 2028
Homeschool graduates qualify alongside graduates of Cotter, Hope Lutheran, Riverway Learning Community, Winona Area Learning Center, and Winona Senior High.
Lives in Winona Area Public Schools
Your student must live within the Winona Area Public Schools district boundaries. Students enrolled in an online high school through another district are not eligible.
Applies for aid
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Grants and scholarships are applied before the program pays.
Makes academic progress
Southeast must be your student's FAFSA home campus, and funding is suspended for a semester if satisfactory academic progress is not met.
What it is worth
Minnesota State College Southeast estimates tuition and fees at $227 per credit.
- One class (3 credits)
- $681
- Full-time semester (12 credits)
- $2,724
- Semester at 15 credits
- $3,405
- One year at 15 credits a term
- $6,810
- Program cap (70 credits)
- $15,890
- Books, tools, and supplies
- $500 a year
The college describes the 70-credit benefit as more than $16,000, which is above its own $227 estimate, so ask a Navigator for the current per-credit cost of your student's program.
From applying to keeping it
- Before you apply
Meet a Navigator
Email opportunity@southeastmn.edu to visit, explore programs, and get the application fee waiver.
- Senior year
Apply for admission and aid
Apply to Minnesota State College Southeast, file the FAFSA, and fill out the online interest form for the College Opportunity Program.
- After graduation
Enroll
Choose any program in Winona, Red Wing, or online, full or part time. There is no application or deposit fee.
- Two years after graduation
Use the 70 credits
A 2026 graduate uses the credits in 2026-27 and 2027-28; a 2027 graduate uses them in 2027-28 and 2028-29. The $500 yearly book allowance covers both years, $1,000 in all.
What it pays for
Covered
- Remaining tuition
- Remaining fees
- $500 a year for books, tools, supplies, and materials
Not covered
- Credits beyond 70
- Open-enrolled students who live outside the district
- Guest or visiting students
- Use after the two-year window
Who pays first
- Federal and state grants
- Scholarships
- College Opportunity Program
It is last-dollar aid: grants and scholarships apply to the bill first, and the program covers the tuition and fees that remain, up to 100% for students with no other aid.
Winona area businesses and individuals fund the program, which is currently funded from fall 2023 through spring 2029.
Who to contact
College Opportunity Program Navigators answer questions about eligibility, admissions, and enrollment.
opportunity@southeastmn.edu 507-453-1415 Online interest form
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Minnesota
You must file the initial report by October 1 of the first instructional year after the child turns seven, or after establishing a new resident district. You must file within 15 days of withdrawing a child seven or older from public school, or of moving out of a district. You must file annual continuation letters by October 1 for the required ages.
Minnesota sets these rules:
- Subjects: Teach reading, writing, literature, fine arts, math, science, history, geography, economics, government, citizenship, health, and PE. Instruction and materials are in English unless the statutory language-program exception applies.
- Testing: Annual nationally normed achievement test for ages 7–16, plus certain 16–17-year-olds first reported after age 16. Agree on the test, administration, and location with the superintendent. State-recognized accredited instruction is exempt.
- Records: Unless the accreditation exemption applies, keep schedules, materials, assessment methods, and proof of testing. Keep immunization or exemption records for five years after adulthood. File immunization statements by October 1 of the first homeschool year and grade 7.
- Teachers: A parent may teach without a degree if the assessment requirements are met. Other instructors need a qualifying license, licensed supervision, bachelor’s degree, or recognized accredited-school route.
Read the Minnesota homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Minnesota
Questions parents ask
- Does the College Opportunity Program have an income limit or a cap on students?
- No. The college says there is no limit to the number of students who can benefit, and students with no grants can receive up to 100% of tuition and fees.
- Can my student attend part time under the College Opportunity Program?
- Yes. The benefit lasts only two years after high school graduation, so plan the credits to fit that window.
- Which programs are covered?
- Every certificate, diploma, or degree program the college offers in Winona, Red Wing, or online.
- What if my student's grades slip?
- Funding is suspended for the next semester if your student does not make sufficient progress, and it is reinstated after a semester of sufficient progress.
- Is the funding guaranteed for a 2028 graduate?
- No. The program lists 2028 graduates using credits through 2029-30, but it is currently funded only until spring 2029, so ask a Navigator how later terms will be funded.
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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