Homeschool benefits through San Jacinto College taxing-district area
The San Jac Promise Scholarship pays 100% of in-district tuition at San Jacinto College after other aid, $83 per credit hour, plus books and required supplies, for up to three years or 72 credit hours. Homeschool graduates qualify if they graduate this school year and live in the San Jacinto College taxing district by October 1 and at graduation.
Who qualifies
Lives in the taxing district
Your student must live in the taxing district by October 1 and at graduation: Channelview, Deer Park, Galena Park, La Porte, Pasadena, and Sheldon ISDs, plus parts of Clear Creek, Humble, and Pearland ISDs.
Graduates this school year
Your student finishes high school during the current academic year and starts full time the fall right after graduating.
Files the FAFSA or TASFA
Promise money is applied last, so your student must accept any Pell and state grants offered. List San Jacinto College, school code 003609.
Takes 12 hours a semester
Your student enrolls in at least 12 credit hours each fall and spring, or 11 with college preparatory courses.
What it is worth
San Jacinto College charges in-district Texas residents $83 per semester credit hour with no separate student fees.
- One class (3 hours)
- $249
- Full-time semester (12 hours)
- $996
- One year (30 hours)
- $2,490
- Program cap (72 hours)
- $5,976
- Books and supplies, at $50 per credit hour
- Up to $600
- Continuing education credential
- Up to $4,680
Students classified as out of district pay the difference between the in-district rate and their actual rate, so confirm your address with admissions if you live in Clear Creek, Humble, or Pearland ISD.
From applying to keeping it
- By October 1
Live in the district
Homeschool students must live in the San Jac taxing district by October 1 of the school year they graduate.
- By February 28
Pledge and apply
Take the online Promise Pledge and apply to San Jac through ApplyTexas.
- By April 30
File for aid
Submit the FAFSA or TASFA with San Jacinto College as your school. Students who miss a deadline can appeal during the May 1-15 window.
- By June 30
Register for fall
Meet with an advisor, then register full time for the fall semester right after graduation.
- Through year three
Keep enrolling
The award runs until the end of the third summer term, an associate degree, or 72 credit hours, whichever comes first.
What it pays for
Covered
- In-district tuition
- Books at $50 per credit hour
- Required supplies, materials, and uniforms
- College preparatory courses, up to two attempts
- Continuing education credentials, up to $4,680
Not covered
- The summer right after graduation
- The difference above in-district tuition
- Third-attempt course charges
- A second certificate of technology
- Cash refunds of unused funds
Who pays first
- Pell and state grants
- Other financial aid and scholarships
- San Jac Promise
It is last-dollar aid: grants and scholarships pay first, and the Promise covers the rest of in-district tuition, plus books and supplies up to $600.
Good to know
Homeschool graduates can qualify
San Jacinto College names homeschool and private school students as eligible when they graduate in the current school year and live in the taxing district at graduation.
Only parts of three school districts qualify
Only the parts of Clear Creek, Humble, and Pearland ISDs inside the San Jac taxing district count, so ask admissions to check your address.
Who to contact
Promise coordinators at each campus answer questions about pledging, eligibility, financial aid, and registration.
promise@sjcd.edu 281-998-6150 Promise Scholarship
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 in the spring?
- No. The scholarship starts in the fall semester right after high school graduation, and students who start in spring or later are not eligible.
- Does dual credit count against the 72 hours?
- The college does not say it does. Dual credit students who graduated without finishing a San Jac degree can use the Promise to complete one, and college preparatory courses do not count toward the 72 hours.
- When does the money reach the account?
- By August 4 for Fall 2026, December 18 for Spring 2027, and April 17 for Summer 2027, according to San Jac's expected posting dates.
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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