Homeschool benefits and savings in Hoke or Moore County

The Sandhills Promise pays tuition, the technology fee, and the activity fee left after other aid for up to two years at Sandhills Community College, up to $1,299 a semester at 16 credit hours. Moore and Hoke County residents who graduate from a registered homeschool qualify if they finish four Career and College Promise courses at Sandhills first. Other options include public school classes and services.

By Andrew Garber, founder of TheHomeschoolingCompany. Reviewed August 25, 2026.

Sandhills Promise

Who qualifies

1. Lives in Moore or Hoke

   Your student must be a resident of Moore County or Hoke County.

2. Graduates from a registered homeschool

   Graduates of a registered home school, or a public or private high school, qualify if they start at Sandhills the fall semester right after graduation.

3. Passed four CCP courses

   Your student completes at least four dual-enrollment courses through Sandhills' Career and College Promise (CCP) program, with a 2.0 GPA and 67% of attempted hours completed.

4. Applies and files the FAFSA

   Apply to Sandhills as a degree-seeking student, meet a College Navigator, complete the SCC scholarship application, and file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

What it is worth

Sandhills lists $76 per credit hour for in-state tuition, up to $1,216 at 16 hours, plus a $35 activity fee and a $48 technology fee each semester, in its 2025-2026 table.

One class (3 hours)

$311

Full time (12 hours)

$995

16 or more hours

$1,299

One year at 16 hours a semester

$2,598

Two years at 16 hours a semester

$5,196

The $25 CAPS (campus access, parking, and security) fee, books, and course-specific fees are not covered, and summer terms in the two years add to the amounts shown.

From applying to keeping it

1. In high school

   Finish four CCP courses

   Your student completes at least four Career and College Promise courses at Sandhills before graduating.

2. Senior year

   Apply and file the FAFSA

   Submit a new SCC admissions application, the final transcript with the graduation date, the SCC scholarship application, and the FAFSA.

3. By July 27, 2026

   Meet the priority deadline

   All four items must be on record by the fall 2026 priority deadline. Do not wait until the deadline week to file the FAFSA.

4. Fall after graduation

   Enroll in a course

   Enrolling in at least one course in the fall locks in eligibility for the next two years.

5. Each term

   Keep a 2.0 GPA

   Hold a 2.0 cumulative GPA and complete 67% of courses attempted. Dropping or failing every course in a funded term can mean repaying the award.

What it pays for

Covered

• Tuition up to the in-state rate
• Technology fee
• Activity fee
• Summer terms

Not covered

• Books
• Course-specific fees
• CAPS fee

Who pays first

1. Federal and state grants
2. Institutional scholarships
3. Outside funding
4. Sandhills Promise

It is last-dollar aid: grants, college scholarships, and outside funding apply first, and the Promise pays the eligible charges that remain.

Who to contact

The Financial Aid Office in Stone 221 on the Pinehurst campus answers questions about the Promise and the FAFSA.

financialaid@sandhills.edu 910-695-3743 Sandhills Promise page

Hoke County Schools homeschool driver education

Who qualifies

1. Homeschool located in Hoke County

   Public, private, and homeschooled students are eligible as long as the private school or homeschool is located in Hoke County.

2. At least 14 and a half

   Your student must be at least fourteen and a half years old to enroll.

3. Attends all 30 classroom hours

   Your student must be present for all 30 hours of instruction before being scheduled to drive.

What the course includes

These terms come from SandHoke Early College High School's driver education page for Hoke County Schools.

Course cost

Free

Classroom instruction

30 hours

Behind-the-wheel driving

6 hours

Class times

After school and in summer

Minimum age

14 1/2

The page does not list registration dates, so call the driver education office to ask when the next class starts and how to sign up.

How to take the course

1. At 14 and a half

   Call to register

   Contact Diane S. Lucas at SandHoke Early College High School to ask about the next class and how to enroll.

2. After school or in summer

   Finish 30 classroom hours

   Classroom sessions meet after the school day and during the summer, and students leave campus right after dismissal.

3. After the classroom part

   Drive 6 hours

   Your student is scheduled for behind-the-wheel driving only after finishing the classroom portion.

4. For the learner permit

   Gather documents

   For a Level One Learner's Permit, bring a certified copy of your student's birth certificate and Social Security card.

What it includes

Included

• 30 hours of classroom instruction
• 6 hours of behind-the-wheel driving

Who to contact about the course

Diane S. Lucas runs driver education registration for Hoke County Schools at 1110 E. Central Ave., Raeford.

910-878-5806 Driver education page

Homeschool rules and statewide help in North Carolina

You must file the Notice of Intent with DNPE at least five business days before home instruction begins; wait for DNPE acknowledgment before withdrawing or starting. No annual renewal is required while operating; notify DNPE when the school closes.

North Carolina sets these rules:

• Subjects: Parents choose the curriculum. Operate on a regular schedule for at least nine calendar months each year, excluding reasonable holidays and vacations.
• Testing: Administer a nationally standardized achievement test each year covering English grammar, reading, spelling, and mathematics.
• Records: Keep attendance and immunization records. Retain annual test results for at least one year and make them available to DNPE on request.
• Teachers: The teaching parent needs a high school diploma or equivalent in North Carolina.

North Carolina also has an education savings account that home-educated students can use.

• Education Student Accounts (ESA+) pay $9,000 a year, or $17,000 for certain disabilities, to students with a documented disability, including homeschooled students. Funding can run out before the school year starts.

Read the North Carolina homeschooling guide See statewide programs in North Carolina

Find benefits for your ZIP code