Homeschool benefits and savings in Smyth County
The Smyth County Promise pays the tuition and fees left after other aid for five of the six semesters after high school at Virginia Highlands Community College (VHCC), about $2,148 a semester at 12 credits. Homeschool graduates qualify if they live in Smyth County and start the summer or fall right after graduating.
Who qualifies
Lives in Smyth County
Home school graduates must have a Smyth County residence. Public school graduates instead must have attended a Smyth County high school for their last two years.
Is a recent graduate
The Promise serves recent public, private, and home school graduates and has run since the class of 2022. Your student must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Starts right after graduating
Your student must begin in the summer or fall semester immediately after high school graduation.
Enrolls in a VHCC program
The award applies to a degree program or a workforce training program at VHCC.
What it is worth
VHCC lists an in-state rate of $179.00 per credit hour, which includes the student activity and parking fees.
- One class (3 credits)
- $537
- Full-time semester (12 credits)
- $2,148
- Semester at 15 credits
- $2,685
- Five semesters at 12 credits
- $10,740
- Five semesters at 15 credits
- $13,425
The Promise pays only what other aid leaves, so these figures are the most it could cover; ask the financial aid office how it handles CTE course fees, which VHCC charges on top of the hourly rate.
From applying to keeping it
- Senior year
Apply to VHCC and file the FAFSA
Submit the Virginia Community College System application to VHCC, then file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with school code 007099.
- Each January
Complete the scholarship form
VHCC's scholarship application opens in January. In 2026 it opened January 23 and closed May 15.
- Summer or fall after graduation
Register for classes
Start in the first summer or fall semester after graduating.
- Each semester
Do 10 service hours
Complete 10 hours of community service at approved agencies and record them on VHCC's volunteer hours form.
- After year one
Keep a 2.0 GPA
A 2.0 GPA is required to stay eligible for the second year.
What it pays for
Covered
- Tuition
- Fees
Not covered
- A sixth semester
- Students who start later than the fall after graduation
- Students living outside Smyth County
Who pays first
- Grants and other financial aid
- Other scholarships
- Smyth County Promise
It is last-dollar aid: all other aid applies first, and the Promise pays the tuition and fees that remain.
VHCC offers the Promise in partnership with Smyth County and the Smyth County Community Foundation.
Who to contact
VHCC's main office connects you with financial aid and admissions staff who answer Promise questions.
276-739-2400 Request information
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
- What does five of six semesters mean in the Smyth County Promise?
- The Promise looks at the six consecutive semesters after high school and pays for up to five of them. Ask the financial aid office whether a summer term counts toward the six.
- Is there a GPA requirement to start the Smyth County Promise?
- No. There is no GPA requirement in the first year; the 2.0 rule starts with the second year.
- Does our family pay anything?
- Usually, for books and supplies. The Promise covers tuition and fees after other aid, and VHCC's page does not list books or supplies among covered costs.
- Where can my student find service hours?
- On VHCC's Promise page, which links a list of volunteer opportunities across Smyth County.
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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