5 Top College Planning Tips, Especially for Homeschooling Families

 by Katherine O'Brien, ThD Candidate, Certified College Planning Specialist 

 

Because you already do the hard stuff—this part shouldn’t be harder than it has to be.

If you’re a homeschooling family, you’ve already taken the road less traveled—and let’s be honest, you’ve probably had to figure out most of it yourself. That can be tough. Figuring it all out, then wondering if you’ve done enough.

From choosing curriculum to finding and exploring (or starting!) co-ops, from writing transcripts to understanding college entrance requirements, you’ve done your best to do what works best for your child(ren). But, when it comes to college planning, even the most seasoned homeschool families pause and wonder:

Are we on the right track? Are we missing something? Have we done enough and done it right? Will colleges accept my child’s accomplishments?

You’re not alone. College planning is hard for all families—but it can feel even more overwhelming for homeschoolers who don’t have a school counselor or easy access to the same resources as public or private school students. (In fact, most traditionally school students aren’t well supported or well informed, either.)

That’s why I created this list—to give you a starting place. Five things that every family with a college-bound student needs to know.

1. Figure out what college will really cost your family.

 

Colleges do post their prices on their websites. That’s the sticker price. What you need to know is what you and your student will need to pay. Not what your neighbor paid. Not the average cost from a search engine. Your actual out of pocket cost.

The actual cost of college, even for students attending the same college, is different for every family. It depends on your income, your assets, your student’s academic and extracurricular profile, your child’s income and assets — and how generous your state (for in-state public schools) and each college is with financial aid. Consequently, it can be a bit of a puzzle to figure out how much you’ll actually pay. And you want to know that BEFORE your student applies, gets accepted, and falls in love with a college. Some colleges have sticker prices close to $100,000 for ONE year of college. You NEED to know what you’ll actually pay.

There are two main types of financial aid to understand:

• Need-based aid is based on your financial situation and is calculated using the FAFSA form (and, at the 300 colleges that require it, the CSS Profile form). (There are a handful of colleges with their own form, instead of, or in addition to, these forms.) The amount of need based aid changes each year depending on your student and your income and assets, as well as what year your student is in college.
• Merit-based aid is awarded for things like grades, test scores, leadership, or talents. Most colleges will guarantee this aid for four years, as long as your student keeps up his or her GPA and stays enrolled full time. Most merit aid comes directly from the colleges. Private scholarships also exist. However, private scholarships lower need based aid eligibility dollar for dollar.

Your student might receive some of both—but unless you understand what’s available, what’s likely, and what each college offers, you’re flying blind.

It’s crucial to know what colleges will expect your family to pay—and whether that amount fits your budget. Guessing can cost you thousands.

👉 Use the colleges’ NET PRICE CALCULATOR to see what college will really cost your family. Then you can begin to build a custom plan that works.

2. Find trusted guidance early—don’t navigate this alone.

One massive difference between homeschooling and traditional schooling? No school counselor.

No one hands you college prep timelines, upcoming test dates, scholarship deadlines, or application tips when you homeschool. Sometimes that doesn’t happen in traditional schools, either. Or students are expected to be proactive and organized, traits most teens don’t yet possess.

That means you have to do all the counselor’s tasks—and, unless you’ve done this before, it’s a lot to take on – course selection, extracurriculars, emotional issues, learning differences, education support needs (equipment, tutoring, etc.),  transcripts, testing, dual enrollment program selection and coordination, and college prep, including career exploration, internships, college and major selection, financial aid, and more.

With all of that on your plate, the earlier you get started, the better. Among other things, you’ll need to learn how financial aid works, how to compare colleges, how to build a strong college prep and application timeline.

You don’t have to figure it out alone. That’s why I’m here. I homeschooled my six children, the youngest of which is a sophomore in college, and have been a professional college consultant since 2004. My first students are nearly old enough to hire me to help them with their own children.

👉 I have tools, timelines, and guidance built for families like yours.

3. Use standardized tests to win scholarships

 

Some colleges have test-optional admissions policies, which means students can apply with or without ACT or SAT scores. However, many colleges still use standardized test scores to award merit-based scholarships, even if they don’t require them for admission. (You can usually find notations about this in the fine print on their websites.)

Tests like the SAT and ACT can still be valuable tools for homeschool families.

Both are college entrance exams accepted by every college in the country. Your student can choose which one to take—colleges don’t prefer one over the other—and they can take either test multiple times to improve their score. (Read my recent blog on the shifts the ACT is in the midst of making.) https://collegeprepanswers.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-act-is-changing-in-2025.html

You’ll also want to look at the PSAT. Your student can take it in 10th grade as a practice run, and then again in 11th grade to qualify for National Merit Scholarships, which can lead to thousands of dollars in aid. I have a $10 booklet on using PSAT scores to win Scholarships. Email if you’re interested!

As a homeschooler, you’ll need to register for the PSAT through the testing coordinator at a local high school or testing center. Planning ahead is key. The ACT and SAT registration is online at their websites; the tests can be taken at a number of different sites. Register early to ensure your student will have a seat at a location convenient for you. Your student can also take AP Tests through your local high school. Please note that students do not need to take AP classes (which are available online to homeschooled students!) in order to take AP exams.

📚 Learn more about PSAT, SAT, and AP test dates and how to register via College Board https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/for-parents/planning-for-college/college-planning-for-homeschoolers

Learn more about ACT test dates and registration via ACT. Register just like any other student, except your school code is 969-999. https://my.act.org/account/signin

4. Get connected to scholarships and opportunities.

 

One of the biggest challenges families face in the college process is simply knowing what scholarships are out there. In a traditional school, students often hear about scholarship opportunities, college fairs, fee waivers, and campus events from their school counselor. As a homeschooler, you have to go looking for those opportunities—but they’re out there.

Start by tapping into local high schools, especially if they allow homeschool students to participate in college fairs or attend financial aid nights. Reach out to school counselors and ask if they can include you on scholarship email lists or let you attend relevant events.

Next, look into community-based organizations, homeschool co-ops, and regional college access groups. These groups often post about local scholarships, essay contests, and summer programs that are open to all students, not just those enrolled in public or private schools. The National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) hosts numerous college fairs each year to which all interested people are welcome.

Don’t forget: many colleges also host their own events—admissions presentations, preview days, or virtual Q&As—specifically designed to help students learn more about campus life and affordability. These are great ways for homeschoolers to connect directly with admissions reps and learn about aid options.

It takes more intention, but building your own information network pays off. In fact, this is exactly what the most successful students do, no matter what their school setting.

👉 Visit my college planning site to learn more about my College Success Program. Over the past decade, my students have been well prepared for college, with nearly 100% being accepted into their top choice program and school, and each been offered nearly $250,000 in merit scholarships, on average. https://www.celticcollegeconsultants.com/college-prep-services

5. Build a strong student resume—beyond academics.

Homeschoolers often do an amazing job when it comes to academics. But when it’s time to apply to college, it’s important to showcase the student’s entire array of accomplishments. That’s where a strong student resume comes in.

Have your teen think about what s/he does outside of core coursework:

• Volunteering
• Working part-time
• Taking significant family responsibilities
• Leading a class or club
• Pursuing creative passions such as music, art, or writing
• Participating in community theater, athletics, Scougin, or youth groups
• Starting a small business or launching a project

ALL of these things matter!! They show initiative, responsibility, interests, and a sense of purpose. They also help homeschoolers stand out in a college applicant pool.

Encourage your student to try new things, take on leadership roles, and document what they’re doing. The goal is to reflect who they really are and what they care about and are interested in exploring, whether as a career or just for fun.

Final Thoughts

There’s no one “right way” to homeschool—and the same is true for college planning. But there is a smarter, more informed way to do it, and it starts with understanding the steps ahead.

The tips I’ve shared here aren’t about doing more—they’re about doing the right things at the right time, with the right information.

You don’t need to have all the answers today. But by taking small, intentional steps now, you’ll set your student up for success—and save yourself a lot of stress  - and money! - down the road.

I’m here to help you do just that.

 

I’m Katherine O’Brien, veteran homeschooling mom, mother of 6, including 3 Eagle Scouts, certified college planning specialist, founder of Celtic College Consultants. I’d love to meet with your family today. Email to schedule a consultation: KOB@CelticCollegeConsultants.com

 

Should You Homeschool High School? Part 4: A Look at Financial Aid Basics

By Katherine O'Brien, MA CCPS

Founder, Celtic College Consultants

Author, Every Catholic’s Guide to College: The Best US Colleges & Universities for Practicing Catholics, 2018 & 2019, and The Ultimate Guide to Top Quality College Planning, all available through Amazon.com

Photo by Pepi Stojanovski on unsplash.com

Financial Aid, Scholarships

First things first.  Your child WILL be eligible for federal financial aid, even if s/he earns a non-accredited diploma.  S/He’ll need to file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) each year, just like all other students.

Financial Aid & Scholarships Basics

Financial aid and scholarships MUST be applied for.  There are a number of means to do so: financial aid applications, scholarship applications, etc.  Sometimes the student’s application for admissions is also used to determine his or her eligibility for various scholarship programs the school offers.  Sometimes a separate application, or series of applications and/or interviews will be required.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT EACH COLLEGE’S FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIP WEBSITE BE CAREFULLY REVIEWED.  The particular opportunities, requirements, and deadlines at that institution will be posted.  Some schools have a central scholarships page, sometimes with their own search function, while others have information scattered around.  Scholarships can be given by the university, the college within the university, and/or the academic and athletic departments.

Need Based Aid – is comprised of tuition reductions, grants, and loans which are qualified for on the basis of “need.”  In common parlance, anyone whose budget comes up short would be thought to be in need.  In the realm of financial aid, there are formuli used to determine need, also known as demonstrated need.  Forms must be completed and submitted by deadlines set by the schools.  For federal student aid, the FAFSA form (fafsa.ed.gov) is the form which qualifies all citizens and legal aliens for federal student aid programs ranging from Pell grants to federal student and parent loan programs.  Colleges award need based federal aid before they award any other aid.  There are a couple of colleges in the country who have opted out of the federal student aid programs.  These schools have their own financial aid programs. 

Colleges can also provide need based aid to students.  Many use the FAFSA formula as their guide.  Some colleges and universities also require the CSS PROFILE (profileonline.collegeboard.org) form and/or their own forms.  A few colleges require their own forms.

EFC/Expected Family Contribution – is the official amount of money the FAFSA or PROFILE processor determines, based on their formula, that the student and his or her family can pay for one year of college.  There are five factors that contribute to the EFC:

1.    Parent income (for the calendar year before the year in which the student is applying; for the 2020/2021 school year, 2018 income information will be used.) is based on the Adjusted Gross Income (bottom line on your 1040) of the parents.  In the case of divorce, the parent is the one with whom the student lives more than half of the time or the parent who provides more than half of the financial support. (50.1%)  If the parent is re-married, s/he will report the income of both him/herself and his/her spouse.

2.    Parent assets (current at the time of the form filing) including all portfolio assets with the exception of the family residence, retirement savings, life insurance, and/or annuities.  Businesses are valued at zero if there are fewer than 100 employees.  See PROFILE instructions for their alternate rules.

3.    Student income (for the same calendar year as the parents.  For example, for a student graduating in June 2019, starting college during the 2019/2020 school year (fall – summer), 2017 income information will be used.

4.    Student assets, current at the time of the initial FAFSA filing.  The same assets are reported for the student as were for the parents.

5.    Resources include all outside resources, be they money from grandparents or private scholarships. 

Grants – are monies given to students based on need.  They can be federal money, like Pell or SEOG grants, or they can be money from the state, like the CalGrant program in California, or from the college itself.  Grants do not need to be repaid.  

Scholarships – are monies given to students based on merit of some kind.  There are two main categories of scholarships, from a financial aid eligibility perspective.  Institutional scholarships comprise 93% of all scholarship dollars.  These funds come directly from the colleges themselves.  Private Scholarships are those offered by other organizations like the Knights of Columbus, Nordstrom, etc.  Private scholarships are considered resources by the financial aid formuli.  They reduce a student’s eligibility for need based aid dollar for dollar.

Some scholarships have a need component.  This means that the scholarship awarding agency takes into account both merit qualifications and the student’s financial need. 

Some scholarship money may be taxed.  Money used for purposes other than tuition and fees is considered taxable income to the student.  Check with your tax preparer for particular information for your situation.

Gap – is the difference between your demonstrated need and the amount of financial aid offered.  Most schools “gap” students; they do not meet the full demonstrated need.

Other Aid – Some schools participate in collectives through which they offer tuition discounts to students who live in certain other states.  The Western Undergraduate Exchange & the Midwest Student Exchange Program are two examples.  These tuition reductions are not need based and are only merited by virtue of the student’s state of residence.  Not every public school in states that participate in an exchange offers the program.  Some limit the program to include or exclude certain majors.  Details are found on each regional exchange’s website.

Net Price Calculator – By federal law, every college and university is required to have a net price calculator on its website.  Sadly, many tuck them away and make them difficult to find.  It is often easier to simply use the school’s search function to find it.  In order to get an accurate estimation, the calculator will need to ask about the student’s GPA and test scores.  The less information requested, the less reliable the estimate will be.  Sadly, they are not required to provide a calculator that gives an accurate estimate of inquiring student’s likely out of pocket costs.

Katherine O’Brien, MA CCPS is a Catholic homeschooling mother of six who has homeschooled since 1998.  She is the founder of Celtic College Consultants and has served college bound teens all across the US since 2004.  Students in her 2015 -2018 classes were offered over $237,000 each, on average, in merit scholarships. In 2017, Katherine compiled and released Every Catholic’s Guide to College: The 315 Best US Colleges & Universities for Practicing Catholics, 2018.  It is available on Amazon.com.  Kolbe Academy families are eligible for 10% off of all of her services and $100 off her initial consultation fee.

High School, from a College Admissions Perspective, Part 3

Continuing our series on aspects to consider, from a college prep perspective, when considering whether to homeschool high school or not, we here consider athletic participation and college recruitment, various “soft” skills students need to develop during the high school years in order to be successful on campus, and how to stay Catholic while in college.

Athletics

It IS possible for homeschooled athletes to be recruited by a college team. Although the NCAA reminds us that only 2% of high school athletes win athletic scholarships, it IS possible.  There are two aspects to consider: being seen by coaches and becoming and maintaining academic eligibility.  Sometimes homeschooled students can play on the public high school’s team.  Sometimes they are recruited through their club teams or other avenues.

Student athletes must register with NCAA and NAIA eligibility centers, both of which have guidelines for homeschooled students to follow in order to be eligible to be recruited.  Check the guidelines early on and frequently to ensure that the curricula and courses you choose meet the guidelines.

In reality, most college coaches don’t waste their time watching high school athletics; they watch club athletes.  If you are in a good club, you’ll be seen by plenty of coaches.  In general, nonetheless, you need to be proactive about promoting yourself and letting coaches know of your athletic abilities.  With the new rules, they won’t be able to reach out to you until junior year but that doesn’t stop you from reaching out to them every month or two to keep them updated about your activities and accomplishments.  They can keep an eye out for you when they are observing.

It’s essential that athletes train well.  Perhaps you can join an adult team or work out with another team in your club.  You may be able to compete at “open events,” especially for track, cross country, tennis, and swimming events.  Another option, of course, is the local gym.

Maturity & Life Skills

Colleges are reporting a number of characteristics of freshman that are making it difficult for them to be successful.  Each student’s strengths and weaknesses and situations differ from their peers, no matter how they are educated. 

Students need to be able to manage their time well.  The structured life of home and high school is absent on campus.  Students need to be able to prioritize and create routines on their own.

Personal skills like self-care (everything from hygiene to managing stress in healthy ways to managing loneliness and balancing work and relaxation), assertiveness, the ability to ask for help as needed, knowing how to keep safe in various situations and how to avoid risky behaviors are essential.  The ability to create, monitor, and manage a budget is also a necessary “soft” skill on campus.

Students need to develop strong relationship skills in order to resolve conflicts that arise, work collaboratively with peers and professors, and accept constructive criticism.  Students can develop the skills needed to effectively work with others in a number of ways which include participating in team sports, clubs, and other group based extracurricular activities.  Working on service activities/projects and at a job are other opportunities high school students have to develop these skills.

Sometimes, a person needs to lead a project, take charge of a situation, etc.  Many students have not learned how to do that before they arrive on campus.  That deficit makes many facets of adjusting to life on campus quite difficult.

Young people need to know how to carry on a conversation, ask questions, listen actively, and maintain eye contact.  These skills are important when working with professors, dealing with other students in the dorms, on jobs, and during interviews.  An internship in a professional setting is another way students can develop and hone these skills.

Another important skill is the ability to look at problems from a number of perspectives and to solve them in creative ways.  Sometimes there is no pre-determined path to the solution; students need to be able to create one.  Dealing with disappointments and set backs is an aspect of problem solving that students also need to learn to handle successfully.  Experiential learning based courses can help students learn these things.  Activities in unfamiliar settings can help, too, like Cotillion or debate, or anything outside the student’s comfort zone.

Independence/Study Skills

Successful college students need college level study skills.  These include excellent note taking skills, efficient study skills, effective test taking strategies, solid time management skills, and the ability to avoid procrastination.  Be sure that your student knows that effective studying involves notepaper, not a highlighter, and not a computer (at least not as a primary tool).  Being able to participate in class is essential. Proactively seeking answers to questions that linger after class is essential.  It often matters just as much that a student understands how to find an answer as that s/he can give the correct one.  Memorizing the textbook and definitions might be adequate to get good marks in high school; it isn’t at college. 

How to Survive as a Catholic

No matter what college or university you attend, you must choose to incorporate your faith into your life at college.  For the first time, you must motivate yourself to get out of bed and to Mass, alone.  Given the fact that human beings are social creatures, finding a group of peers who will reinforce your best habits (like getting enough sleep, eating well, and practicing your faith) is absolutely essential.  College students must be intentional about forming a group of friends who will support their goals, who share their values, and who will challenge them to become better versions of themselves.  At college, for the first time, you choose your peers.  You’ll have your dorm mates, but you won’t necessarily spend much time with them.  The same holds true for the students in your classes and those with whom you may work.

Choose your college carefully.  I strongly recommend getting a copy of Every Catholic’s Guide to College, The Best 315 US Colleges & Universities for Practicing Catholics from Amazon.com and using it to explore possible campuses.  In addition to information about admissions, academics, and financial aspects of each college, the Guide includes a profile of the Catholic community on campus.  And, only colleges with strong support for Catholic life were included in the Guide.  In July 2018, the 2019 version will be released; it will feature an index of the colleges by the majors they offer.  You’ll be able to find, for example, all the schools that offer a major in economics, or physics, or industrial engineering. 

Remember that you must choose to spend time with people in order to create your inner circle of peers.  The Catholic community on campus is the perfect place to find those people.

More to Come…

In the next installment, I will address financial aid, scholarships, and a few additional skills needed to be successful on today’s college campus

Katherine O’Brien, MA CCPS is a Catholic homeschooling mother of six who has homeschooled since 1998.  She is the founder of Celtic College Consultants and has served college bound teens all across the US since 2004.  Students in her 2015 -2018 classes were offered over $237,000 each, on average, in merit scholarships. In 2017, Katherine compiled and released Every Catholic’s Guide to College: The 315 Best US Colleges & Universities for Practicing Catholics, 2018.  It is available on Amazon.com.