This beautiful Homeschooling for College Credit story was sent to me by the White family. I’m sharing it with their permission. They discovered Homeschooling for College Credit in 2020 and have used primarily Sophia, Studycom, and Straighterline to get her daughter through nearly 3 years of college during the last 2 years of high school. They are using a very wise combination of career school and a bachelor’s degree.
Hello Jennifer,
My Homeschool for College Credit journey started in 2020. It was the first time that I enrolled into the group. I started learning so much information regarding dual enrollment it caught my interests. At the same time, I felt that I did not want to pressure my daughter (back then a Sophomore) into taking up the high school requirements and college credit courses. In my mind, I thought my she could not hack it. I prayed about it and I enrolled her in the first free Sophia course that they were offering.
She passed the first class in psychology and it’s been a non-stop journey with credit on demand. What I liked about the credit on demand option is that it worked with my work schedule. I did not have to drive to a local community college due to my rural area long distance location. Although I did find out later on that students were able to take online classes at the community college, but at the time since she was a Sophomore, there was a lot of red-tape to follow to access free dual enrollment classes. So, we just kept with the credit on demand.
Then, we found out about Liberty University and their partnership with Sophia, Study.com, Straighterline and others. It was a win-win situation.
Jennifer’s comment: credit like those used in this story doesn’t usually transfer well UNLESS it is into a university that has a partnership. When you find a college with a partnership, you can resourcefully plan your teen’s classes to line up with the requirements. This often allows parents to align as much as 3 years of college credit (90 credits) with their target degree, and the cost is usually under $3,000 to do so.
Now my daughter is a high school senior. Two years in the making, and so far, she has covered all of the general requirements for Liberty University Online where she wants to obtain her bachelor’s degree in health science. Currently, she has accumulated 78 college credits on demand. She is still working on trying to transfer at least 90 carefully planned credits by the time she completely enrolls in the spring / summer 2023 to Liberty University Online.
While my daughter has been doing high school classes and credit on demand, in the fall of 2022 we enrolled her in a Medical Assistant vocational online program with the health medical assistant accredited program of the U.S. Career Institute online. I did not know how this was going to pan out for us, but I prayed about it. My daughter successfully completed the Medical Assistant Program and graduated with honors. The program was 4 months long and she did it in a month an half. Lord willing, she will be preparing in winter 2023 for the NHA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant national exam.
Our priority is that she not take loans for college. In the event of not getting scholarships or if financial aid falls through, or even if she decides that she no longer wants to continue with credit on demand and attend Liberty, take some type of gap year break, at least she can be certified as a medical assistant and work after high school graduation. She wants to become a future Physician Assistant in dermatology and what better way to start the clinical tactical experience in the field after high school as medical assistant
Jennifer’s comment: Having a contingency plan in place is real wisdom. In this case, not only does she already have a way to earn an income, but she can gain work experience toward her ultimate goal while she finishes her degree, and isn’t afraid to use her advantage (being 3 years ahead) to work out a way to pay cash for the final year of college… or in her case, her only year of college.
Through God’s wisdom and advice from Homeschooling for College Credit, I have learned not to put my hopes as a homeschool mom with a high schooler in one basket. I learned to have a backup option. In the event that things could fall through, I have guided my student to obtain a vocational training to gain some sort of career perspective and work after high school if college has to be put on hold or a change of career interest.
I do not know what the future holds. However, God is in control of the life of my daughter and all we can do is trust him according to Proverbs 3 : 5-6. (NKJ)Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
“Stay encourage moms and dads, stay focused, and you will make it through and have a back-up plan if possible. :-)”
Love in Jesus,
The White Family
Do you have a story you’d like to share?
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