Many homeschoolers are taking advantage of dual enrollment classes offered through community colleges. In these classes, students take college courses while still in high school. This gives them a head start on a two-year associate’s degree.
Taking college classes in high school also enables them to study subjects they might have difficulty doing at home. Homeschooled high school students can find specialized classes in science as well as math, foreign language, and other courses at their local community college.
“Most people don’t really want to dissect something in their own house or do chemistry experiments in their kitchen,” Pamela Frederick, Dean of Student Services at Germanna Community College in Virginia, told The Free Lance-Star.
Germanna Community College is an equal opportunity institution with an “open door” admission policy. The college has accepted homeschoolers as young as 14. Younger teens will be interviewed by Dean Pam Frederick. They have to pass the same English and Math placement tests as other students.
Frederick has seen homeschoolers for each of the 23 years she’s worked at Germanna Community College, but more in the last five years. Currently, Germanna has 373 students who were taught at home. Of the total, 54 are still in high school.
As a comprehensive community college, Germanna provides quality, accessible, and affordable courses, programs, and services that enable students to gain access to and succeed in higher education. Germanna Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award an Associate Degree.
The Professional and Technical Studies Division includes credit programs focusing on workforce readiness and/or transfer to four-year institutions. PTS courses/programs include: Automotive, Business, Education, EMS, Engineering, Fine Arts, Fire Science, Graphic Communications, Horticulture, IT, Police Science, and Technical Studies.
The Arts and Sciences degree program at Germanna Community College is designed primarily for students who plan to transfer their coursework to a four year institution. The college offers associate’s degrees in Business Administration, Education, General Studies, Liberal Arts, Psychology, and Science.
Germanna Community College also offers many Nursing & Health Technology program opportunities in such varied fields as Allied Health, Dental Assisting, Dental Hygiene, Nurse Aide, Nursing (RN), Practical Nursing, and Surgical Scrub Nurse.
Germanna Community College has campuses located in Locust Grove, Fredericksburg, Stafford, and Culpeper. Distance education/online students have access to the same high quality student services and library resources that other Germanna students do.
Whether you are a homeschool student, a high school graduate, an adult learner, a transfer student, or are taking classes for personal enrichment, Germanna Community College will help you achieve your goal.