Homeschool benefits and savings in Kansas City and Jackson County
Kansas City Public Library gives homeschool parents a free Educator Card, kept separate from your personal card, that checks out items for six weeks instead of three and renews for another six weeks if no one is waiting. Apply at any library location, or email cysdesk@kclibrary.org for the application. Other options include college classes and scholarships.
Kansas City Public Library homeschool educator card
Who qualifies
Homeschool parent or guardian
Teachers and homeschool parents or guardians can get an Educator Card in addition to their personal cards.
Uses it for teaching
The card is only for materials used in a class or homeschool setting.
Lives in metro Kansas City
Residents of metropolitan Kansas City in Missouri or Kansas get full library access. People outside the service area can borrow a limited number of materials.
Verifies the account in person
Show ID and proof of address in person. Since April 6, 2026, unverified accounts can check out only three items.
What the card gives you
The terms come from Kansas City Public Library's Services for Educators and Library Cards pages.
- Educator Card loan period
- 6 weeks
- Educator Card renewal
- 6 more weeks
- Regular loan period
- 3 weeks
- Items out on a verified account
- 75
- Holds on a verified account
- 100
- Notice for educator services
- 2 weeks
The Educator Card cannot check out feature films, and its holds work only on items owned by KCPL, not other consortium libraries.
How to get the card
- Before you go
Get the application
Ask at any service desk, or email cysdesk@kclibrary.org to have the Educator Card application sent to you.
- At any location
Turn in the application
Bring the completed application to any Kansas City Public Library location.
- When you plan a unit
Request materials
Tell staff the subject, your children's interest and ability levels, and the format you want, and they place holds for you.
- At pickup
Check out on the Educator Card
Pick up the items at the branch you chose and check them out for six weeks.
- Every year or two
Renew your account
Verify or update your contact information online, at a location, or through Live Chat.
What it includes
Included
- Books, CDs, and DVDs except feature films
- Holds on KCPL-owned items
- Staff-selected materials by subject and level
- Database demonstrations for homeschool groups
Not included
- Feature films
- Holds on other consortium libraries' items
- Personal borrowing
Who to contact about the card
Children and youth services staff send Educator Card applications and help homeschool parents find materials.
cysdesk@kclibrary.org 816-701-3400 Services for Educators
Metropolitan Community College Kansas City homeschool dual enrollment
Who qualifies
Homeschooled high school student
A dual-enrolled student takes MCC classes while still completing high school or homeschool coursework.
Applies and accepts admission
The application is free. Accepting the admission offer creates the MCC Student ID your student needs for placement and registration.
Places into college-level work
Your student meets course prerequisites through a transcript, ACT scores from the last three years, or the free ACCUPLACER test.
Meets with staff if under 16
A student under 16 and a parent meet one-on-one with the Student Success Manager, or the Dean of Students on campus, before enrolling.
What classes cost
MCC's in-district tuition is $126 per credit hour, and dual enrollment students pay half, $63.
- One class (3 hours)
- $189
- Two classes (6 hours)
- $378
- 4 credit hours
- $252
- Same class at the regular rate
- $378
- One class a term for two years
- $756
MCC says one dual enrollment class a semester in the junior and senior years adds up to one semester of college before graduation.
From applying to keeping it
- Step 1
Apply online
Create an application portal account with a personal email, complete the free admissions application, and accept the admission offer.
- Step 2
Complete placement
Send a transcript or ACT scores, or take ACCUPLACER by Zoom or at a campus testing center.
- Step 3
Attend an enrollment session
Homeschool students contact MCC-Online Admissions to set up dual enrollment options and a New Student Advising and Enrollment session.
- By the payment deadline
Pay half tuition
Pay online, by mail, or in person. Drop by the refund deadline to avoid charges.
- Each term until graduation
Keep the rate
The half-price rate lasts until your student graduates high school, through the spring of senior year, if under 20 when the term starts.
What it pays for
Covered
- Half of standard tuition
- On-campus and online courses
- General education and technical courses
Not covered
- Required books
- Program fees on technical courses
- Federal financial aid
Good to know
Classes are on campus or online
MCC instructors teach dual enrollment courses on campus or online. A student under 16 meets with the Dean of Students on that campus first.
Your student can take any class they qualify for
Your student can take any MCC class whose prerequisites or placement scores they meet, including English composition, speech, foreign language, history, psychology, math, biology, chemistry, physics, and career courses such as business and computer science.
Who to contact
MCC-Online Admissions sets up dual enrollment for homeschool students and helps schedule placement testing.
on.admissions@mcckc.edu 816-604-1000 MCC-Online dual enrollment
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Missouri
No annual homeschool registration required. If withdrawing from public school, a written notice requesting removal from its rolls documents the change.
Missouri sets these rules:
- Subjects: For students under 16, offer at least 1,000 hours of instruction: 600 in reading, language arts, math, social studies, science, or related courses, including 400 at the regular homeschool location. The statutory hours and recordkeeping rules do not apply at age 16 or older.
- Testing: Missouri does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
- Records: For students under 16, keep a subject and activity record, a work-sample portfolio, and progress evaluations, or equivalent written or credible evidence.
- Teachers: No state teaching-license or degree requirement for a homeschool instructor.
Read the Missouri homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Missouri
Questions parents ask
- Can a homeschool parent get a Kansas City Public Library Educator Card?
- Yes. The library names homeschool parents and guardians as eligible, and the card sits alongside your personal card.
- Can Kansas City Public Library staff pull books for our unit study?
- Yes. Tell them the subject, your children's interest and ability levels, and the format you prefer, and they place the holds. Allow at least two weeks' notice for educator services.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
Books and library resources give your child something to explore. We turn their interests into coursework, so library discoveries can lead to deeper study at home.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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