For homeschool students, transitioning to college can be daunting. Genesee Community College (GCC) in New York is targeting those students to ease their concerns.

“Homeschooled students appreciate the many different courses and subject areas, but where classes are small and there is consistently excellent instruction with a low student to teacher ratio,” Associate Dean Amy Churchfield said in a press release.

GCC will host an informational session later this month specifically for homeschoolers and their parents to let them know about educational opportunities. They can meet with GCC staff who have experience working with homeschooled students. Students will learn how GCC coursework can help them earn the New York State High School Equivalency Diploma and get financial aid information. They’ll also get information on GCC’s Accelerated College Enrollment (ACE) program, which is open to students under the age of 18.

The ACE program is not only for homeschooled students, but does benefit them as it offers small courses with one-on-one attention. There are hundreds of college-level courses for homeschooled students at a discounted tuition rate. Science and math courses can even be scheduled at the convenience of several homeschooled families if there’s a group of 10 or more students. Students in the program have full use of GCC facilities, but also can take courses online from home.

Once students earn 24 college credits through ACE, they can transition seamlessly into becoming a “regular” GCC student without having to fill out an application.

“GCC is a perfect pathway for homeschool families to transition from their at-home learning environment to college-level curriculum that is rigorous, but also friendly and offers plenty of hands-on learning,” Churchfield said.

And the college offers plenty of resources for homeschool families on its website, including a educational opportunities offered and a Frequently Asked Questions page with questions answered by GCC’s homeschool specialist.

An enriching experience

There also are community colleges offering enrichment courses for homeschool students.

Community College of Baltimore County in Maryland has its Homeschool Destination, which offers courses ranging from chemistry to introduction to piano to standup comedy.

And Frederick Community College (FCC) also has enrichment courses specially designed programs to complement at-home schooling. Courses usually take place on Fridays and are taught by FCC faculty, homeschool parents and educational professionals.

Does your college target homeschooled students? Sound off at LinkedIn.