Homeschool benefits: Kansas City metro RideKC
RideKC buses started charging fares again on June 1, 2026, and riders on SNAP, WIC, TANF, Medicaid, LIHEAP or LIEAP, or federal housing aid pay half: $1 a ride, capped at $2 a day, $10 a week, or $31.25 a month. Every child ages 6-18 also qualifies for the same reduced fare by age, so your homeschooled student can apply with proof of age alone. Other options include college classes and scholarships.
RideKC low-income fare
Who qualifies
Gets an income-based benefit
Show proof of participation in SNAP, WIC, TANF, Medicaid, Section 8, LIHEAP in Missouri, or LIEAP in Kansas.
Or is ages 6-18
Children and teens qualify by age. Send proof of age if the ID you upload does not show a birth date.
Has a valid ID
A state ID, driver's license, school ID, passport, or Fountain Card works.
Has a RideKC Go account
Download the RideKC Go app and create an account before you fill out the reduced fare application.
What the fare saves
RideKC's fares page lists each reduced fare against the regular fare of $2 a ride, $4 a day, $20 a week, and $62.50 for 30 days.
- One ride (regular $2)
- $1
- Daily cap (regular $4)
- $2
- Weekly cap or pass (regular $20)
- $10
- 30-day cap or pass (regular $62.50)
- $31.25
- Children 5 and under
- Free
Fare caps work only if you tap with the same card, phone wallet, or app every time, and that method must be registered as a Reduced Fare profile.
How to get the reduced fare
- Before you apply
Set up RideKC Go
Download the RideKC Go app and create an account. Each family member, including each child, needs a separate application listing the parent's name.
- Online or in person
Apply with documents
Apply at unitedwaygkc.org/RideKC, or at the East Village Transit Center, 700 E. 12th Street, if you cannot apply online.
- After review
Get your Reduced Fare status
United Way reviews the application and notifies you, and KCATA issues the Reduced Fare pass.
- Every ride
Tap the same way
Use the registered card, wallet, or app so your rides count toward the $2 daily, $10 weekly, and $31.25 monthly caps.
What it includes
Included
- All RideKC fixed routes during full service hours
- Daily, weekly, and 30-day fare caps
- Children 5 and under at no cost
Not included
- RideKC Freedom paratransit
- IRIS ride share
- Cash payment on the bus
Who to contact about reduced fares
The Regional Call Center answers questions about fares and reduced fare applications, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
816-221-0660 RideKC fares and passes
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 my homeschooled teen get the RideKC reduced fare?
- Yes. Anyone ages 6-18 qualifies by age, whatever their school. Upload an ID and proof of age if the ID does not show a birth date, and list the parent's name on the child's application.
- Does a homeschool ID count on the RideKC reduced fare application?
- Not clearly. The program accepts a school ID, state ID, driver's license, passport, or Fountain Card but does not say whether a homeschool ID counts, so a passport or state ID avoids the question.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
A student fare helps with trips to classes and activities. We handle the learning at home, with lessons built around your child's interests and feedback on their work.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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