Homeschool benefits: Metropolitan Community College Omaha
Metropolitan Community College (MCC) in Omaha waives tuition and the facility fee, $77 per credit hour in fall 2026, for current Nebraska students in grades 9-12, and it names homeschool students as eligible. There is no income requirement and no separate application: the waiver is applied when your student enrolls in MCC credit courses.
Who qualifies
Current Nebraska homeschool student
The waiver covers current grade 9-12 Nebraska high school students, including homeschool students, subject to any program requirements.
In grade 9 or higher
Ninth graders become eligible starting in MCC's fall quarter.
Takes MCC credit courses
CollegeNOW! and Kickstart Online are open to every eligible student. Career Academy, for juniors and seniors, requires an application and acceptance.
Graduating seniors get one more term
A senior who finishes high school in May stays eligible through the summer quarter after graduation.
What it is worth
MCC's fall 2026 rate for Nebraska residents is $72 tuition plus a $5 facility fee per credit hour.
- 1 credit hour
- $77
- 3 credit hours
- $231
- 5 credit hours
- $385
- 8 credit hours
- $616
- 12 credit hours
- $924
Other course fees, equipment, tools, and textbooks are still yours to pay, and MCC lists no dollar amounts for them, so check each course before you register.
From applying to keeping it
- Before you register
Apply to MCC
Complete MCC's free application to get an MCC ID number, then browse the catalog or call 531-622-2400 to book a Success Navigator appointment.
- When registration opens
Send the registration form
Email the CollegeNOW! registration form, with any test scores, to centralreg@mccneb.edu. Spring 2027 registration opens January 15, 2027.
- After registration
Watch the charges clear
Charges stay on your student's account until shortly after registration, when the waiver is applied.
- Through 2026-27
Keep taking courses
The waiver runs through the end of the 2026-27 year. A course failed with a D or F can be retaken at no cost.
What it pays for
Covered
- Tuition on MCC credit courses
- The facility fee
- Retaking a course failed with a D or F
Not covered
- Other course fees
- Equipment and tools
- Textbooks
If your student fails a course or drops it after the census date, you do not have to repay the waiver.
Who to contact
Secondary Partnerships runs MCC's programs for high school students and answers questions about the tuition waiver and registration.
secondarypartnerships@mccneb.edu 531-622-2213 Tuition waiver page
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Nebraska
You must file the annual exempt-school election and assurances with NDE by July 15. For a midyear start, file promptly and begin after NDE receives it. NDE advises waiting for that receipt before withdrawing. Include identity documents in your first filing. Report address and enrollment changes. An active abuse-investigation notice blocks withdrawal and new elections for 14 days after receipt or until further agency notice, whichever comes first.
Nebraska sets these rules:
- Subjects: Provide basic skills in language arts, math, science, social studies, and health, with 1,032 instructional hours annually for K–8 and 1,080 for grades 9–12. Midyear hours may be prorated. Curriculum details are no longer filed with NDE.
- Testing: Nebraska does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
- Records: NDE does not require progress reports or a prescribed portfolio. Keep immunization or exemption evidence unless you filed for religious reasons.
- Teachers: No formal education credential is required; assure that instructional monitors are qualified for the five basic subjects. Instructors and monitors cannot have convictions for the felony offenses specified in §79-1601(5)(b).
Read the Nebraska homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Nebraska
Questions parents ask
- Does the MCC waiver cover homeschooled students?
- Yes. MCC lists current grade 9-12 Nebraska high school students, including homeschool, as eligible. MCC's pages do not describe homeschool paperwork, so ask Secondary Partnerships what proof of grade your student needs.
- Is there a limit on how many MCC courses my student can take?
- No. MCC sets no maximum but asks students to take only as many courses as they can complete successfully. Career Academy courses are set by the program.
- What happens if my student fails a class?
- You do not repay the waiver, and your student can retake a course they failed with a D or F at no cost.
- Where do textbooks come from?
- The MCC bookstore. Kickstart Online, Career Academy, and CollegeNOW! students can order there and pay for the books themselves.
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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