Homeschool benefits and savings in Billings and Yellowstone County
MSU Billings University Connections lets your student take college courses before finishing high school, with the first two classes (up to 6 credits) tuition-free and later classes at $61.37 per credit, $184.11 for a 3-credit class. Montana students ages 16 to 19 qualify, and homeschool students apply on the same form by entering "Home School" as their high school.
Who qualifies
Lives in Montana
The reduced dual enrollment tuition is available only to Montana residents.
Is 16 to 19
Students under 16 complete MSU Billings' underage policy forms, and the university decides whether to grant a waiver.
Applies as a homeschool student
The University Connections application asks a homeschool student to enter "Home School" and an expected home school completion date. A parent signs for a student under 18, which accepts responsibility for paying for the courses.
Meets course prerequisites
Math and writing courses require a minimum high school GPA, ACT score, or Accuplacer score, and the Dual Enrollment Office can schedule a placement exam.
What it saves
MSU Billings lists the $61.37 dual enrollment rate next to regular City College and MSU Billings tuition for the same course.
- First two classes, up to 6 credits
- Free
- One 3-credit class after that
- $184.11
- Same class at regular City College tuition
- $905.42
- Same class at regular MSU Billings tuition
- $1,251.75
- 30 credits at the dual enrollment rate
- $1,472.88
The program's FAQ page still shows an older $57.37 rate, and the Montana Board of Regents can change the rate, so confirm it with the Business Office at 406-657-2301 before you pay.
From applying to keeping it
- Before the term
Email the application
Send the application, release of information, immunization records or waiver, class request, and an underage waiver if your student is 15 or younger to dualenrollment@msubillings.edu. Transcripts or ACT scores are sent if requested.
- Each term
Register for classes
Submit a new University Connections registration form every term, with placement scores attached where a course needs them.
- After registering
Set up accounts and books
Your student gets a NetID by email, logs into Canvas, and buys the required course materials from the Campus Store or elsewhere.
- After the free classes
Pay the bill
A bill is issued once the two free classes are used. Pay in MyMSUB, by phone with the Business Office, or in person.
- Each academic year
Reapply for the Hardship Scholarship
If your household qualifies, the scholarship covers tuition after the first two classes, but you must apply again every academic year.
What it pays for
Covered
- Tuition for the first two classes
- 100- and 200-level courses on campus or online
- Later tuition with the Hardship Scholarship
Not covered
- Textbooks and required course materials
- Course and program fees
- The reduced rate for students outside Montana
The 1-2-Free program pays tuition on the first six credits; after that you pay $61.37 a credit unless the Hardship Scholarship covers it.
Good to know
Homeschooled students can join
The University Connections application has a place for home school students and asks for an expected home school completion date instead of a graduation date.
Families in an aid program qualify
The Hardship Scholarship covers students or households in a program such as free or reduced lunch, SNAP, WIC, Medicaid or Healthy Montana Kids, TANF, SSI, Head Start, McKinney-Vento, or Section 8 housing. It applies automatically, for 100- and 200-level courses only.
Who to contact
Kaili Payne, Director of Dual Enrollment, handles enrollment, class questions, and placement testing for University Connections.
dualenrollment@msubillings.edu 406-247-3015 Dual enrollment contacts
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Montana
You must notify the county superintendent each school fiscal year. State law does not set a specific calendar deadline.
Montana sets these rules:
- Subjects: Provide an organized course covering the public-school basic instructional program and meet grade-level aggregate hours: 720 for grades 1–3 and 1,080 for grades 4–12. Kindergarten is 360 hours half-time or 720 full-time. For graduating seniors, 1,050 hours may suffice; statutory proficiency exceptions may apply.
- Testing: Montana does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
- Records: Montana requires you to keep attendance records and make them available to the county superintendent on request. Current homeschool law does not require immunization records.
- Teachers: No state teaching-license or degree requirement for a homeschool parent.
Montana also has an education savings account that home-educated students can use.
- Montana's special-needs Education Savings Account reimburses approved tuition, curriculum, tutoring, and therapy costs for students with a qualifying disability. Check the program's current notices: a court stay has affected when it operates.
Read the Montana homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Montana
Questions parents ask
- Who signs the high school official line on the registration form?
- The form does not say for homeschoolers. It has a line for a high school counselor or principal to certify enrollment at an accredited Montana high school, so ask the Dual Enrollment Office who signs for a home school student.
- My student is 15. Can they still enroll?
- Possibly. Students under 16 go through MSU Billings' underage policy process and submit an underage waiver, and the university decides each request.
- Will the credits count toward my student's diploma?
- That is your decision. MSU Billings leaves it to your student's high school, which for a homeschooled student is your home school. Credits transfer within the Montana University System, but check with the college your student plans to attend.
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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