TL;DR: Tulsa Community College waives resident tuition on up to 30 dual credit hours for eligible high school students, 12 in the junior year and 18 in the senior year. Private school students qualify through the same admission scores as public school students, and homeschool students have their own admission route. Fees and books are not waived.
Can Tulsa private and homeschool students take dual credit at TCC?
Yes. TCC's dual credit program is open to high school juniors and seniors who are on track to graduate in the spring of their senior year, and it admits students from accredited private high schools on the same terms as public school students.
An accredited-school student needs one of these: an ACT or Pre-ACT composite of 19, an SAT or PSAT of 990, or a 3.0 cumulative unweighted GPA, along with at least a three-semester transcript. Students from unaccredited high schools and home schools must show coursework equal to a junior or senior and meet TCC's admission requirements for unaccredited students. TCC suggests checking the Oklahoma Private School Accreditation Commission list to see how your private high school is classified.
Junior status starts the summer after 10th grade, so a sophomore can apply as early as January and start in summer.
How much tuition does TCC waive for juniors and seniors?
Up to 30 credit hours in total. Under state law each eligible Oklahoma junior who meets in-state tuition rules can have resident tuition waived on up to 12 credit hours, and each eligible senior on up to 18, and TCC applies both waivers automatically.
| Junior year | Senior year | |
|---|---|---|
| Waived credit hours | Up to 12 | Up to 18 |
| Starts | June 1 after 10th grade | June 1 after 11th grade |
| Can be used | Summer, fall or spring | Summer, fall or spring |
| Not covered | Course fees, books, materials | Course fees, books, materials |
Financial aid posts the waiver about three weeks after the semester's drop date, with no separate application. Every waived hour counts against the limit, including withdrawals, incompletes and failing grades, and a student who graduates high school early loses eligibility for the senior waiver. TCC recommends juniors split their 12 hours between fall and spring.
Which Tulsa private schools go through grade 12?
Our directory shows 28 private school campuses in the four counties whose federal or state records reach grade 12, and 23 of them are registered for Oklahoma's Parental Choice Tax Credit. They range from Bishop Kelley, Holland Hall, Cascia Hall and Riverfield to Christian K-12 campuses such as Metro, Lincoln, Victory, Mingo Valley and Summit, plus Peace Academy and smaller schools in Claremore, Sapulpa and Sperry. The full list is on the Tulsa private high schools page.
Dual credit waiver vs the tax credit vs the homeschool credit: which pays for what?
Each one pays a different bill, so they don't compete. The Parental Choice Tax Credit pays your private high school's tuition and fees; the TCC waiver pays resident tuition on college courses; the homeschool credit pays up to $1,000 a year of a homeschooler's qualifying costs.
- Parental Choice Tax Credit: $5,000 to $7,500 per student by household income, paid to an accredited private school, never more than its tuition and fees.
- TCC dual credit waiver: resident tuition on up to 30 college hours; fees, books and materials stay with the family.
- Homeschool credit: covers nonpublic online program tuition, tutoring, curriculum, and fees for national tests such as the ACT, SAT and AP exams, including prep courses. Its rules don't list public college courses, so ask the Tax Commission before counting TCC fees.
A private school senior can use the tax credit for high school tuition and the TCC waiver for college classes in the same year. See the expense-by-expense table for the state programs.
How should a Tulsa family plan dual credit around a private school schedule?
Start with the high school counselor in the spring of 10th grade. Ask which TCC courses the school accepts toward graduation, whether classes meet on campus, online or at a TCC campus, and whether the school's own calendar leaves room for them.
Dual credit doesn't change your tax credit. The credit is still figured on the private school's own tuition and fees, so a senior taking two TCC classes a semester keeps the same tier, and the family pays TCC's course fees and books separately. If the school charges less because a student is on campus part of the day, that lower bill is what the credit can cover.
Then apply to TCC, send the transcript and test scores, and keep an eye on the drop deadline each term, since a withdrawal still uses up waived hours. TCC's dual credit office can be reached at dualcredit@tulsacc.edu or 918-595-4705.
Frequently asked questions
Can Tulsa private and homeschool students take dual credit at TCC?
Yes. Juniors and seniors from accredited private schools are admitted with an ACT of 19, an SAT of 990 or a 3.0 unweighted GPA, and homeschool students qualify through TCC's unaccredited-student requirements.
How much tuition does TCC waive for juniors and seniors?
Resident tuition on up to 12 credit hours in the junior year and 18 in the senior year, 30 in all. Fees, books and materials are not waived.
Which Tulsa private schools go through grade 12?
28 campuses in Tulsa, Wagoner, Rogers and Creek counties have records reaching grade 12, and 23 of them are registered for the Parental Choice Tax Credit.
Does the Oklahoma tax credit pay for TCC classes?
No. The tax credit pays a private school's tuition and fees; the TCC dual credit waiver is what covers college tuition for eligible juniors and seniors.
Related questions
- What does each Oklahoma program pay for?
- Which Tulsa private schools go through grade 12?
- How do dual credit waivers work at TCC?
- What can homeschool families claim?