Homeschool benefits: Mountain Empire Community College
The Mountain Empire Community College (MECC) Promise pays the tuition and fees left after other aid for up to two years or 72 credits, about $4,998 a year at 14 credits a term in 2026-27. Homeschool graduates from Lee, Scott, Wise, or Dickenson County or the City of Norton qualify if their homeschooling met Virginia law and they enroll full time.
Who qualifies
Graduated in 2023 or later
The Promise starts with the class of 2023 and serves graduates of a public school or a recognized home school association. Earlier graduates can still apply for MECC Foundation Scholarships.
Homeschooled under Virginia law
A homeschooled graduate must have met Virginia's home instruction requirements and send a final transcript with an authoritative signature and graduation date.
Lives in the service region
Your student must reside in Lee, Scott, Wise, or Dickenson County or the City of Norton, meet Virginia in-state domicile rules, and be able to prove residency.
Enrolls full time
Your student must stay continuously enrolled full time in fall and spring, in courses required for their program of study.
What it is worth
MECC's 2026-27 in-state student budget lists $4,998 in tuition and fees for fall and spring at 14 credits a term.
- One semester at 14 credits
- $2,499
- One year, fall and spring
- $4,998
- Two years, fall and spring
- $9,996
- Fall, spring, and summer (11 months)
- $7,140
- Books and supplies, not covered
- $1,000 a year
The Promise pays only what grants and MECC Foundation scholarships leave unpaid, so a student with enough federal and state aid gets nothing extra from it.
From applying to keeping it
- Senior year
Apply to MECC and file the FAFSA
File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and send any paperwork the financial aid office requests.
- By August 1
Finish the scholarship form
Complete the MECC Foundation Scholarship application at mecc.edu/scholarship, which includes the Promise. For a summer start, the deadline is May 1.
- After the award
Write a thank-you letter
Your student must write a thank-you letter to the scholarship donor by the date set, or the scholarship is revoked.
- Each semester
Keep a 2.0 GPA
Falling below 2.0 for a semester or overall ends eligibility permanently, with no appeal.
- Each year by August 1
Reapply
Refile the FAFSA and the MECC scholarship application every year to keep the Promise.
What it pays for
Covered
- Tuition
- Fees
- Summer courses in your program, at 6 credits or more
Not covered
- Books and supplies
- Courses outside your program of study
- Students who lose Virginia domicile
Who pays first
- Federal and state aid
- MECC Foundation scholarships
- MECC Promise
It is last-dollar aid: federal and state aid and MECC Foundation scholarships apply first, and outside scholarships are not applied to tuition, so your student can use them for the bookstore.
Who to contact
The MECC Financial Aid Office answers questions about the Promise, the FAFSA, and the scholarship application.
fa@mecc.edu 276-523-7470 MECC Promise Program
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Virginia
You must file the annual notice of intent by August 15. If you move into a Virginia division or begin after the school year starts, notify the division as soon as practicable and complete the filing within 30 days of the notice.
Virginia sets these rules:
- Subjects: Provide a curriculum and include a list of the coming year’s subjects with the annual notice. The home-instruction statute does not require the public-school curriculum.
- Testing: Submit evidence of progress by August 1 after the school year. Children under six on September 30 of that school year are exempt from this assessment requirement.
- Records: Submit the annual notice, subject list, proof of a qualifying route, and required evidence of progress. Keep copies; no routine portfolio or attendance-log filing is required.
- Teachers: Qualify through a high-school diploma, Board-prescribed teaching qualifications, providing a curriculum or program of study, or evidence that you can provide an adequate education.
Read the Virginia homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Virginia
Questions parents ask
- Does the MECC Promise pay for books?
- No. It covers tuition and fees only. Scholarships from outside sources are not applied to tuition, so your student can use them for books.
- Can my student attend part time on the MECC Promise?
- No. The Promise requires continuous full-time enrollment in fall and spring. Summer is optional and needs at least six credits.
- What if my student's GPA drops below 2.0 one semester?
- Eligibility ends right away and permanently. MECC allows no appeal for special circumstances.
- We live just over the line in Tennessee. Does the Promise apply?
- No. Students who are not Virginia-domiciled are not eligible, though Tennessee residents within 30 miles can get in-state tuition; email enroll@mecc.edu to ask.
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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