Homeschool benefits and savings in Pitt County
The Bulldog Promise pays the tuition left after other aid for two academic years at Pitt Community College, up to $1,216 a semester at the 16-hour tuition cap. Pitt County homeschooled students qualify if they have already passed 12 credits or four courses at Pitt through Career and College Promise (CCP) dual enrollment.
Who qualifies
Homeschools in Pitt County
Students at Pitt County public and private high schools qualify, and the college states that Pitt County homeschooled students are eligible. Your student must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
Passed 12 Pitt CCP credits
Your student must have passed 12 curriculum credits or four curriculum courses at Pitt Community College as a dual enrollment student, with a 2.0 cumulative Pitt GPA and a 67% pass rate.
Starts the fall after graduating
Fall, spring, and summer high school graduates qualify, but the award is applied starting only in the fall semester after graduation.
Files the FAFSA
File the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to use up grants and scholarships first, and refile it each year.
What it is worth
Pitt Community College charges North Carolina residents $76 per credit hour, up to $1,216 a semester at 16 or more hours.
- One class (3 hours)
- $228
- Part time (6 hours)
- $456
- Full time (12 hours)
- $912
- 16 or more hours
- $1,216
- Two years at 16 hours a semester
- $4,864
The Promise pays tuition only, so the $51.35 activity fee, $48 technology fee, and $25 CAPS (campus access, parking, and security) fee each semester stay on your bill unless other aid covers them.
From applying to keeping it
- In high school
Take Pitt CCP courses
Your student passes at least 12 credits or four courses at Pitt through Career and College Promise while keeping a 2.0 GPA.
- Senior year
Apply in myPittCC
Complete the Bulldog Promise application under Digital Forms in the myPittCC portal, the Pitt admissions application, and the FAFSA. The application for the class of 2027 is open now.
- After graduation
Send the final transcript
Submit your student's final official high school transcript to Pitt's Admissions Office and register for fall classes.
- From April 15
Watch for the award letter
Award letters start going out by email on April 15 to students who finished the application process.
- Each term
Keep the award
Stay enrolled every fall and spring, keep a 2.0 GPA and a 67% pass rate, and refile the FAFSA each year. A student who falls out of satisfactory progress cannot regain the award.
What it pays for
Covered
- Tuition left after other aid
- Fall and spring semesters
- Summer sessions, if your student takes them
Not covered
- Books
- Access fees
- Classroom materials
Who pays first
- Pell Grant
- State grants
- Institutional and outside scholarships
- Bulldog Promise
It is last-dollar aid: grants and scholarships apply first, and the Bulldog Promise pays the tuition balance that remains. Your student does not have to take loans first.
Good to know
Pitt County homeschoolers are eligible
Pitt Community College states that Pitt County homeschooled students can get the Bulldog Promise, as long as they meet the dual enrollment requirement of 12 credits or four courses passed at Pitt.
Who to contact
Brian Jones, vice president of Student Services, answers questions about Bulldog Promise eligibility and the application.
pccbulldogpromise@email.pittcc.edu 252-493-7867 Bulldog Promise 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
Questions parents ask
- My student has not taken any Pitt classes yet. Is it too late for the Bulldog Promise?
- Not if your student is still in high school. The award requires 12 curriculum credits or four courses passed at Pitt through Career and College Promise before graduation.
- Do we have to borrow loans before the Promise pays?
- No. The FAFSA is used to exhaust grants, scholarships, and other aid that does not have to be repaid, and loans are excluded.
- Does the Promise cover summer classes?
- Yes, if your student takes them. Summer is optional, but fall and spring enrollment is required every year.
- When does the award end?
- After two academic years or when your student finishes a degree, whichever comes first.
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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