Dual Enrollment for Florida Homeschoolers: Free College Credit Before Graduation

A Florida homeschooler can walk onto a state college campus, or log into its online portal, and earn college credit while still in high school, without paying tuition. The program is dual enrollment, home education students are eligible by statute, and it is one of the most valuable things this state offers families who educate at home.

Who is eligible

Dual enrollment is open to students in grades six through twelve, though most colleges take homeschoolers beginning in ninth or tenth. Each college sets its own entry requirements — usually a qualifying score on a placement test, the SAT, the ACT or the CLT, since a home-educated student has no school-verified GPA. Check the specific college's dual enrollment page; requirements differ from campus to campus.

The home education articulation agreement

Public school students dual enroll through their school. Home education students sign a home education articulation agreement directly with the college. It spells out the courses available, how many credits your student may take per term, the college's expectations, and who does what. You will typically need proof that your child is registered as a home education student with your district, plus test scores and the college's application. Book the advising appointment early; agreements are signed on the college's calendar, not yours.

What it costs

Tuition and fees are covered for dual enrollment students. Florida's Dual Enrollment Scholarship Program, created in 2021, reimburses colleges for the tuition, fees and instructional materials of private school and home education students, so ask the college's dual enrollment office how it handles textbooks for home-educated students before you buy anything. Practice varies by campus and term. If you are on PEP, dual enrollment and eligible postsecondary tuition are on PEP's covered list, so any cost the college does not absorb may be payable from the education savings account.

What the credits are worth

Courses appear on a real college transcript and, for public colleges in Florida, transfer under the state's common course numbering. A student can arrive at a Florida university with a semester or more complete. Grades are permanent, though: a dual enrollment course is a college course, and a weak grade in tenth grade follows the student to every future application.

Action items

• Read the dual enrollment page of your nearest Florida College System campus and note its home education requirements.
• Get a qualifying test score on the calendar — most colleges accept several, and some offer their placement test free.
• Make sure your district home education registration is current; the college will ask for proof.
• Start with one course, ideally something your student is strong in, and treat it as a college course from day one.
• Record every course on the high school transcript as well, with the college credit value noted.

Test prep and tutoring providers who work with scholarship families are in the directory, and PEP's full covered list is in our Step Up guide.

My Learning Source is an independent marketplace and is not affiliated with Step Up For Students or the Florida Department of Education. Program rules and amounts change every cycle — confirm details on the official program pages before making financial decisions.