Homeschool benefits: Northampton Community College
Northampton Community College (NCC) charges dual-enrollment high school students a reduced rate of $95 a credit for Northampton County residents, or $285 for a three-credit course, with no added fees. Homeschooled students qualify, and the parent who oversees the homeschool signs in place of a school counselor.
Who qualifies
Approved by the homeschool supervisor
NCC asks students to get approval from a school counselor or homeschool evaluator first. If your child has no counselor, the parent or guardian overseeing the homeschool signs for the counselor.
Sends a high school transcript
An official high school transcript goes to dualenrollment@northampton.edu with the FERPA and Approval Form. If you keep the homeschool records, you prepare and send it.
Verifies identity with a photo ID
Your student verifies identity online through Persona with an unexpired government photo ID, such as a driver's license or passport, or a high school student ID.
Takes the placement evaluation
NCC recommends that homeschooled students take its English and math placement evaluation so they land in the right course.
What it is worth
NCC's dual-enrollment tuition page lists these per-credit rates: $95 for Northampton County, $100 for Monroe County, $115 out of county, and $130 out of state.
- Northampton County ($95 a credit)
- $285
- Monroe County ($100 a credit)
- $300
- Other Pennsylvania counties ($115 a credit)
- $345
- Out of state ($130 a credit)
- $390
- Course fees on top of tuition
- $0
Dual-enrollment students cannot get federal financial aid, so ask the bursar about the payment plan, and apply for one of the limited dual-enrollment scholarships offered each semester.
From applying to keeping it
- Before you apply
Get approval
NCC tells homeschooled students to start by checking with their homeschool evaluator for approval. Pick a term: fall starts in August, spring in January, and summer in May.
- Step 1
Apply online
Submit NCC's free online application, then finish the Persona identity check within 72 hours of getting the link.
- Within 14 days
Set up the NCC account
Watch for the NCC account setup email and use its link before it expires in 14 days.
- Before registration
Send the form and transcript
Send the FERPA and Approval Form, signed by your student, you as parent, and you as counselor, plus the transcript. Processing takes 5 to 7 business days.
- Before classes
Orientation and registration
Your student attends the virtual Orientation Part 1, sets up Workday and Outlook with multifactor sign-in, and then joins a registration session.
What it pays for
Covered
- Credit tuition at the reduced dual-enrollment rate
- Digital course materials built into many Brightspace courses
Not covered
- Textbooks and supplies a course requires
- Federal financial aid
- High school credit, which NCC does not decide
Dual-enrollment students pay only credit tuition, not the associated fees other students pay, but they buy any required textbooks, access codes, and supplies.
NCC offers a limited number of dual-enrollment scholarships each semester, with preference for students who get free or reduced-price lunch, are first-generation, or face financial hardship.
Who to contact
College Connections answers questions about the dual-enrollment program, and the admissions office helps with the application and identity check at 610-861-5500.
collegeconnections@northampton.edu 610-861-5500 Dual enrollment page
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Pennsylvania
You must file a notarized affidavit or unsworn declaration with the superintendent before starting and by August 1 in subsequent years. Include educational objectives and required health and immunization documentation or exemptions. Certify that the supervisor, adults living in the home, and persons with legal custody have no conviction for the listed statutory offenses in the preceding five years.
Pennsylvania sets these rules:
- Subjects: Teach in English the subjects required for elementary or secondary home education, including English, math, science, geography, history/civics, health, PE, art, music, and ongoing fire-safety instruction. Provide 180 days or 900 elementary/990 secondary hours annually.
- Testing: Include reading and math test results in the portfolio in grades 3, 5, and 8. Obtain an annual evaluation and submit the evaluator’s certification to the superintendent by June 30. The supervisor, parent or guardian may not administer an alternative approved standardized test.
- Records: Keep a portfolio with a reading-materials log, work samples, required test results, and the annual evaluation. Document the required instructional days or hours.
- Teachers: The supervisor must be the parent, guardian, or legal custodian with a high-school diploma or equivalent. The supervisor, adults living in the home, and persons with legal custody must meet the statutory five-year criminal-conviction condition.
Read the Pennsylvania homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Pennsylvania
Questions parents ask
- How much will one NCC dual enrollment course cost us?
- A three-credit course costs $285 for Northampton County residents, $300 for Monroe County, $345 for other counties, and $390 for out-of-state students. Add the cost of any textbooks or supplies the course needs.
- Can we use financial aid or a scholarship for NCC dual enrollment?
- Not federal aid, but a scholarship is possible. Federal financial aid is only for high school graduates; NCC offers a payment plan and a limited number of dual-enrollment scholarships each semester.
- How many courses should my student take at first?
- NCC recommends that first-time dual-enrollment students start with one course in the regular 14-week semester.
- Will the course count toward our homeschool high school credits?
- That is up to you and your evaluator, not NCC, which does not award high school credit. Ask your homeschool evaluator how to record the course, and request the official NCC transcript from Student Records and Registration.
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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