Parent Question: How to Start?

“I’m looking for advice. Which programs did you use to acquire college credits? Did you do online college? CLEP exams? Did you do 1 class per semester while also doing “normal work”, full semester at an online school? I’m so confused!” -Lauren N. HS4CC Parent in New York

Welcome!! First, let me assure you that there is no “best” way to earn college credit. This is one of the cool things you can do as little or as much as you want- you don’t have to hit the bullseye to get HUGE returns, just a little college credit is great. A lot of college credit is great too- but if your teen earns even ONE college credit in high school, she’s ahead- literally- so it’s ALL upside. You can’t mess this up.  

The “average” HS4CC teen earns between 30 and 60 college credits before graduating high school.

2021 HS4CC Parent Survey

What you also should know is that you can start any time, at any age, and there are 30 ways to earn college credit all explained in depth at www.hs4cc.com but for every parent you meet using one, you’ll meet another that prefers a blend or another that swears by the next. Meaning, it’s kinda like trying to teach someone about homeschooling- everyone has their own flavor!

What I recommend for you is to first watch the intro video (below) I made that really gives a good overview of the basics. This will help you see through some of the noise and get focused on the key pieces.

Among the steps to get started is one that you’ve already done, and that’s connecting with your state’s HS4CC Facebook group! Connecting with other parents in your state will make this a thousand times easier for you than trying to do it on your own.

I’m glad you’re here and welcome!

Step 1

Watch Now. Watch the introductory video Homeschooling for College Credit 101. This 1-hour video gives you the best orientation and all the big pieces of the puzzle. You’ll leave the session fired up and ready to go!

Step 2

Get the Book. Learn about college credit types. If you don’t already own Homeschooling for College Credit, you can pick that up from your local library or on Amazon. If you don’t have the book, you can Bookmark the 30 Ways to Earn College Credit in High School. (aka Chapter 2 in the book). Click on any of the credit types on the list to learn more about them. Not all college credits are created equally, and this page will serve as a resource you can refer back to time and time again.

Step 3

Join our community– simply find your state’s HS4CC group on Facebook and request to join. There is no expectation, to participate, but you’ll need to know if your state has a free or reduced tuition dual enrollment program. If it does, you’ll immediately want to learn about eligibility and costs. If your state doesn’t offer free programs, your group will be the best resource for what parents in your state are doing to accumulate college credit at a reasonable cost. Look up my state

Step 4

Understand Credit Laundering. Colleges are highly predictable in how they handle incoming credit, but people are exceptionally creative, and it doesn’t take long before bright parents to think they’ve found a loophole. Let’s look at that loophole I call Credit Laundering. Understanding how your teen’s college credit will be evaluated by a future college is ESSENTIAL.

Step 5

Read, read, read, watch, watch, watch, and ask, ask, ask! Go back into the various credit types and dive deeper into the pros and cons, how they fit into your educational program, and what they cost.

• READ- We have over 1,000 pages of free content on this website- each dedicated to helping you learn how to do this! Between the website and the book, Homeschooling for College Credit, you’ll get the confidence you need to navigate the process.
• WATCH- We have dozens of (free) recorded workshops covering the topics that matter to you the most. We also offer opportunities to attend live workshops on Zoom or occasionally in person.
• ASK- Your Facebook group is full of parents a little further down the path than you, but our moderating team are standing by ready to help. If you still have questions, you can reach out to me directly, and I’ll make sure you get pointed in the right direction.

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