Homeschool benefits: College of the Mainland
The Opening Doors Promise pays tuition and mandatory course fees for up to two years at College of the Mainland, about $4,620 at 15 credit hours a term. Homeschool graduates in the class of 2026 qualify if they live in the college's service area.
Who qualifies
Graduates in 2026
A diploma from a home school framework counts, alongside public, charter, and private school diplomas and a verified GED for students 17 to 19.
Lives in the service area
Texas City ISD (which includes La Marque), Dickinson, Hitchcock ISD, or Santa Fe ISD. Santa Fe awards are limited and given first come, first served.
Files the FAFSA or TASFA
There is no income limit, but the form is required: any grant it turns up is applied before the Promise pays.
Enrolls full time in fall 2026
Fall Session 1 or 2, working toward an associate degree or a technical workforce certificate.
What it is worth
College of the Mainland charges in-district students $77 per credit hour for 2026-27.
- One class (3 hours)
- $231
- Full-time term (12 hours)
- $924
- Recommended term (15 hours)
- $1,155
- One year at 15 hours a term
- $2,310
- Two years at 15 hours a term
- $4,620
Some courses add a material fee or an e-book fee on top of the hourly rate. Ask the scholarships office which of those the Promise covers.
From applying to keeping it
- By June 1, 2026
Apply and file for aid
Apply through ApplyTexas, then file the FAFSA or TASFA with school code 007096.
- After July 1
Late filers
Still accepted, but you may pay the bill first and be reimbursed once eligibility is confirmed.
- Fall 2026
Enroll full time
Register for Fall Session 1 or 2. The college checks eligibility; there is no separate Promise application.
- First summer term
Reach 24 credit hours
Complete at least 24 credit hours by the end of the first summer term.
- After year one
Keep a 2.0 GPA
Hold a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher and stay in good standing to keep the award.
What it pays for
Covered
- Tuition
- Mandatory course fees
Not covered
- Textbooks
- Personal school supplies
- Specialized course tools
Who pays first
- Federal and state grants
- Other scholarships
- Opening Doors Promise
It is last-dollar aid: grants and other scholarships apply to the bill first, and the Promise pays whatever tuition and mandatory fees remain.
Private donations through the COM Foundation pay for the awards, so how many are given depends on each year's funding.
Good to know
Homeschool diplomas are accepted
College of the Mainland accepts a diploma from a home school framework alongside public, charter, and private school diplomas. Your student still has to meet the residency, financial aid, and full-time enrollment rules.
You pay for books, supplies, and course tools
Your family pays for textbooks, personal supplies, and specialized course tools. Tuition and mandatory course fees are covered after grants and scholarships, though if you file after July 1 you may pay the bill first and be reimbursed.
Filing the FAFSA is required
Filing the FAFSA, or the TASFA for students who cannot file the FAFSA, is a required step even though the Promise has no income requirement.
Who to contact
The College of the Mainland scholarships office decides who qualifies and answers questions about the award.
scholarships@com.edu 409-933-8508
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Texas
You do not have to file a homeschool notice to the state.
Texas sets these rules:
- Subjects: Instruction in Texas must include reading, spelling, grammar, math, and good citizenship.
- Testing: No routine annual homeschool standardized test is required. UIL participation and public-school transfer can have separate testing requirements.
- Records: Texas does not require homeschool records, but keeping them is recommended.
- Teachers: Texas does not require homeschool parents to hold a teaching certificate.
Texas also has an education savings account that home-educated students can use.
- The Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) awards $2,000 a year to selected home-education students for approved expenses. Applications for 2026-27 closed March 31, 2026; families who missed that cycle can join the 2027-28 interest list.
Read the Texas homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Texas
Questions parents ask
- Can my student start part time?
- No. The Promise requires full-time enrollment in Fall Session 1 or 2 of 2026.
- Can the Promise pay for a workforce certificate instead of a degree?
- Yes. It covers up to two years toward an associate degree or a technical workforce certificate program at College of the Mainland.
- We live in Santa Fe. Is the Promise harder to get?
- It can be. Santa Fe ISD is in the Promise area, but its awards are limited and handed out first come, first served, so file the FAFSA or TASFA and enroll early.
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.
Find benefits for your ZIP code