Homeschool benefits and savings in Washington County
The Washington County Promise pays the tuition and fees left after other aid for five consecutive semesters at Virginia Highlands Community College (VHCC), plus $500 a semester for books and supplies at the VHCC Bookstore. Homeschool graduates qualify if they lived in Washington County, Virginia, for at least 12 months before graduating and start by the fall after graduation.
Who qualifies
Lived in Washington County
Public, private, and homeschool graduates must have lived in Washington County, Virginia, for at least 12 months before graduation. Residents of the City of Bristol are not included, and students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Starts right after graduation
Your student must begin at VHCC in the summer or fall semester immediately after spring graduation.
Files the FAFSA and scholarship application
Both are required. The Promise pays only after federal, state, and other scholarship aid is applied.
Takes at least 6 credits
Courses must fit a degree, transfer, or workforce training program of study. There is no maximum beyond VHCC's own credit limits.
What it is worth
VHCC charges Virginia residents $179.00 per credit, which includes the student activity, parking, and capital fees.
- Minimum load (6 credits)
- $1,074
- Full-time semester (12 credits)
- $2,148
- Semester at 15 credits
- $2,685
- Books and supplies, per semester
- $500
- Five semesters at 12 credits
- $10,740
- Five semesters of book stipends
- $2,500
Because it is last-dollar aid, grants and other scholarships reduce what the Promise itself pays, and VHCC issues no refunds from it.
From applying to keeping it
- Senior year
Apply to VHCC and file the FAFSA
Submit the online VHCC admission application and the FAFSA, using VHCC school code 007099.
- January to mid-May
Complete the scholarship application
The VHCC scholarship application opens each January. In 2026 it opened January 23 and was due May 15, the same deadline set for the FAFSA.
- Summer or fall after graduation
Enroll in at least 6 credits
Register for classes in a degree, transfer, or workforce program for the first semester after graduation.
- Each year
Volunteer 8 hours
Complete 8 hours of community service at approved agencies and record them on VHCC's volunteer hours form.
- Before year two
Keep a 2.0 GPA
Your student needs a 2.0 college GPA to keep funding for the second year.
What it pays for
Covered
- Tuition
- Fees
- Books and supplies up to $500 a semester
- Degree, transfer, and workforce programs
Not covered
- Colleges other than VHCC
- Refunds of unused award money
- Students living in the City of Bristol
Who pays first
- Federal and state aid
- Other scholarships
- Washington County Promise
The Promise is a last-dollar scholarship: federal and state aid and any other scholarships apply first, and the Promise pays the tuition and fees that remain.
Good to know
Bristol residents are not covered
The scholarship does not cover residents of the City of Bristol, Virginia.
Part-time study of 6 credits is enough
The minimum is 6 credits a semester, as long as the courses line up with a program of study or credential plan.
Who to contact
The Foundation office runs VHCC's scholarship application and answers questions about scholarship awards.
foundation@vhcc.edu 276-739-2449 Promise Program site
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
- Can my student take a gap year first?
- No. Students must enroll no later than the fall semester right after graduation, and the five semesters run consecutively.
- Can we skip the FAFSA if we do not expect federal aid?
- No. The program says students who do not complete the FAFSA and the VHCC scholarship application cannot benefit from the Promise.
- Will the program still be around when my younger children graduate?
- It depends on their class. The Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia and VHCC describe the Promise as covering K-12 students who live in Washington County, and it now includes the 2025, 2026, and 2027 kindergarten classes.
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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