Dual Enrollment Offers Great Advantages for Homeschoolers by Tina Shreeve

Homeschooling affords great opportunities for students who wish to earn college credit during their high school years. Dual enrollment allows students to immerse themselves in real college courses, getting a head start on a post-secondary education while still at home and under their parents’ guidance. Homeschool students have an advantage in pursuing dual enrollment courses, as they are not bound by the limits of the school day and courses offered at their particular institutions. Students have the option to take virtually any course for which they meet the prerequisites; however, HomeLife Academy counselor, Lani Carey, recommends some good starting points:


“Good dual enrollment courses to take are English Comp. I and II, US History I and II or math and science courses, foreign language, and Social Science courses such as Psychology or Sociology…  Just remember, in order to have the lottery grant pay for the dual enrollment course, a student must maintain a GPA of 2.75 in each course, so students want to make sure they are ready for college level work in the courses they sign up for.

The lottery grant provides more great motivation for students to take dual enrollment courses. This grant provides up to $1,200 towards college courses for any junior or senior high school student in the state of Tennessee. Students can also borrow up to $1,200 per year against the HOPE scholarship if they qualify. While students may have previously hesitated to use these funds early, the Tennessee Promise program ensures that students who are participating will have college tuition paid up to the last dollar for two years. Therefore, those who plan to use Tennessee Promise can be encouraged to take as many courses as they desire and feel comfortable with taking. 

Admission requirements for dual enrollment may vary between schools. If you wish for your student to take courses at a particular school, you should contact that school well before the beginning of the semester so that you can find out what the requirements are and what forms will be needed. You will also need to find out the requirements for certain courses that a student wishes to take. Some courses may have different prerequisites, including ACT score requirements.

If you would like to find out more about dual enrollment, you can visit our High School page. Our high school counseling team is also always happy to help. You can reach us with questions at admin at homelifeacademy dot com or 888-560-0774. 

HomeLife Academy is a private school that has been serving homeschool families for over 11 years. We offer families freedom and flexibility while providing them with legal coverage and the support of a full records and counseling staff. Visit our website to find out more about HomeLife.