Graduation Success: How One Homeschool Student Completed an Associate Degree in High School

June 24, 2021

Meet Nathan A.

Nathan is motivated. He has goals for earning his bachelor’s degree, a potential military career, and when he expects to make his first million. After taking his first dual credit course as a home school high school student, he set his goal-setting sights on how many courses he could complete before he graduated.

“At first, I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to get it all done or that it would become too challenging to the point where I was just stressed with everything else going on on top of school,” Nathan said. “But the workload was pretty fair. After taking the first and second college classes, I decided this is something I definitely wanted to push for and see how many credits I could get.”

The Experience — And Price Tag — They Were Looking For

Over the next two years he successfully completed 20 courses, and earned his associate degree from university while in high school.

“There was a point where I was doing college and high school classes all at the same time and I was working like 40 hours a week,” Nathan said. “I could balance all that together because the courses are self-paced. Some weeks I could do a little bit more. And then some weeks, if I got ahead, I could slack off a bit. I just made sure I stayed on a steady course to get it done.”

Nathan’s mother, Laure, wasn’t looking for dual credit specifically. As a military family, the traditional path of having Nathan go to a college campus to take college courses wasn’t feasible. While at a homeschool fair looking for a math curriculum, Laure learned about the College Algebra course.

“I could see how [this could provide] the experience we were looking for,” Laure said. “And the cost savings... When we started talking about the time Nathan would save and the money we’d save, it was a no-brainer.”

Nathan is already thinking about the two years he’ll have while most of his peers will be finishing their degrees.

“Earning my associate degree also helped me get that extra edge,” Nathan said. “I want to get my bachelor’s degree. I can get it two years before everybody else. Right now, all my other buddies are just starting college. And by the time they go to get their associate degrees, I have my bachelor’s degree. I can get my career started two years earlier, which can set me up not just academically, but also financially.”

Laure noted, “I love the fact that it’s independent for the child. Mom doesn’t have to be behind them. It lets them shine. I think it escalates their maturity, too. They see they’ve done it. It builds confidence.”

Want the same experience for yourself?

Nathan and his family's experience with dual enrollment is a testament to the transformative power of early college exposure. Through our program, they were able to seamlessly integrate college-level courses into their homeschool curriculum, allowing their children to earn valuable credits while still in high school. This experience not only enriched their academic journey but also provided them with a competitive edge as they pursued higher education and career opportunities.

If you're inspired by the Nathan's story and want to learn more about how dual enrollment can benefit your homeschooling journey, we encourage you to reach out to us. Our team is dedicated to helping families like yours navigate the dual enrollment process and achieve academic success.

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