Homeschool benefits: Murfreesboro and regional MTSU

Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Regional Scholars pay a reduced out-of-state tuition rate, about $8,466 less per semester at 15 credit hours in 2026-27. Out-of-state students near MTSU qualify with an ACT of 25 and full-time enrollment, and a homeschool graduate must self-identify so MTSU reviews them.

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

Who qualifies

1. Lives near MTSU, outside Tennessee

   Your student must be a non-Tennessee resident who finished high school in a county within about 250 miles of MTSU, or anywhere in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, or Virginia.

2. Scores 25 on the ACT

   An ACT composite of 25 or higher qualifies, or an SAT of 1200 for tests taken in March 2016 or later. Missing scores or scores below the minimum cannot be appealed.

3. Self-identifies as homeschooled

   A homeschool does not appear on MTSU's list of eligible high schools, so your student must tell MTSU they were homeschooled. Homeschooling is one of the listed reasons to file an appeal with the MT One Stop.

4. Enrolls full time

   Your student must carry at least 12 credit hours each fall and spring and apply for the Academic Common Market if their major is available through it.

What it is worth

MTSU's 2026-27 undergraduate fee charts list tuition plus a $1,188 program services fee per semester for out-of-state students and for Regional Scholars.

Out-of-state tuition and fees, 15 hours

$17,706

Regional Scholars tuition and fees, 15 hours

$9,240

Savings per semester at 12 hours

$7,896

Savings per semester at 15 hours

$8,466

Savings for fall and spring at 15 hours

$16,932

MTSU raises tuition and fees every academic year, so check the new fee chart after July 1 before you budget for later years.

From applying to keeping it

1. By December 1

   Apply for admission

   Finish the MTSU admission application by December 1 for the following fall. There is no separate Regional Scholars application.

2. After you apply

   Tell MTSU about homeschooling

   Have your student self-identify as homeschooled, and submit the appeal form to the MT One Stop in SSAC 210 if MTSU does not apply the Regional rate.

3. Before the term starts

   Late applicants

   Students who apply after December 1 can still get the Regional rate, but a merit scholarship is not guaranteed.

4. Each fall and spring

   Stay at 12 hours

   Dropping below 12 hours at any point in a semester brings the full out-of-state rate for that term. Enrolling full time the next term restores the Regional rate.

What it pays for

Covered

• Reduced undergraduate tuition rate
• Automatic review for freshman merit scholarships
• A matching rate for graduate students

Not covered

• Books
• Terms below 12 credit hours
• Tennessee residents

The discount applies to tuition only: the program services fee is the same $1,188 a semester for Regional Scholars and other out-of-state students.

Good to know

• Homeschoolers must self-identify for review

  Homeschool graduates can get the rate. MTSU says homeschooled students in the 250-mile radius or the eight bordering states must self-identify to be reviewed. Your student still needs an ACT of 25 or the SAT equivalent and a full-time schedule.

• Low test scores are not grounds for appeal

  MTSU does not accept missing test scores or scores below the minimum as grounds for an appeal. An appeal covers cases such as a homeschool, an unlisted high school in range, or outdated scores.

Who to contact

Undergraduate Admissions answers questions about Regional Scholars eligibility, including high schools that are not on MTSU's list.

615-898-2111 Regional Scholars page

Homeschool rules and statewide help in Tennessee

For independent homeschools, file a notice with the local education agency before each school year. A first-time filing may be made at any time during the school year; there is no fixed August 1 deadline.

Tennessee sets these rules:

• Subjects: Independent homeschool parents select and identify their curriculum and provide at least four hours of instruction per day for 180 days each year. Church-related schools set their own program requirements.
• Testing: Testing in grades 5, 7, and 9 for registered independent homeschools.
• Records: Independent homeschool parents keep attendance records, permit inspection, and submit them at year end. Maintain grades, transcripts, student records, and copies of final diplomas; provide required test results to the recipients specified in the current testing rule.
• Teachers: An independent homeschool parent-teacher needs a high-school diploma or equivalent. Church-related umbrella schools set their own enrollment and parent requirements.

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

• The Individualized Education Account pays a student with a qualifying disability and an active IEP the state and special-education funding for their district, including an independently homeschooled student. Most students must have spent the prior year in a Tennessee public school, and 2026-27 applications are closed.

Read the Tennessee homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Tennessee

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