Brandy’s son is entering college with 79 perfectly planned credits! Thanks to resourceful high school planning, Andrew is starting Liberty with only 41 credits to go, and he will graduate debt-free. Here’s how Brandy did it.
Earlier this summer, I had the privilege of chatting with Arkansas Homeschooling for College Credit mom Brandy. She sent me a screenshot of her son’s college evaluation. She was shocked that all of her son’s college credit actually transferred and that she was actually going to be able to get him through Liberty University without student loan debt. Here is her screenshot:
Isn’t it beautiful!!?? 79 credits were counted towards his 120-credit degree. Brandy reported that those credits were earned over four years of high school, costing her family only $2,100. If you review Liberty’s website, you’ll see it costs $390 per credit. That means Brandy’s hard work in high school saved them over $30,000. Impressive!!
With Brandy’s permission, I’m sharing the email she sent me. It’s so inspiring!
“When Andrew was a freshman, I homeschooled him using a mix of books, resources, and materials. Around that time, I started researching more, especially the information you had shared, and I also began asking friends what they were doing for their high schoolers. Andrew had known from a young age that he wanted to play college basketball, so that dream largely dictated the path we were on. Whenever we talked about college, he would always say, “I’m just going to play basketball.”
Still, I kept digging deeper, realizing that we might be able to get him more college credits during high school, just in case plans changed. I connected with support groups who helped finalize his transcript after his sophomore year and guided me through the NCAA Clearinghouse process. I spent days completing hundreds of worksheets to document his coursework accurately. As I did all that, I began exploring programs like Sophia, Modern States, and other dual credit options.
Some of the things you said in our chats really got me thinking. Then one day, I saw a post about Christian Leaders, and I began sensing that Andrew might be reconsidering his original college plans. The more I talked to him, the more I felt God nudging us in a new direction.
Through the HS4CC Christian Colleges & Dual Enrollment Facebook group, I learned that Christian Leaders was partnered with Liberty University. I told Andrew that if he was open to it, we could try to earn as many credits as possible by taking classes at night, during the summer, whenever we could fit them in. The work took time, but it wasn’t overly difficult. I hoped that through the process, he might discover a clearer sense of purpose.
By his senior year, some personal factors and unfortunate circumstances led Andrew to step away from basketball, the sport he had once loved so much. That’s when I asked him, “Do you want to buckle down and finish as many college classes as you can before graduation?” He said yes. He worked nights and weekends, and I spent hours on Liberty’s transfer page and doing additional research to make sure the courses would transfer. We pushed hard to maximize every opportunity. He chose to get a Business Degree, which made the planning a little easier.
When we finished, I honestly didn’t think his credits would be accepted. But I submitted it anyway. To my surprise, there was no pushback at all, and everything transferred. I was shocked.
Now, Andrew is a graduating senior in high school and has applied to become a firefighter. He plans to finish his degree online through Liberty University. Altogether, we spent about $2,100 over four years and earned 79 college credit hours. If he gets hired as a firefighter, the department will cover the cost of finishing his degree. And if not, I’m ready to pay for the rest myself.
We’re incredibly grateful for all the groups and families who supported us along the way. God has been so good, providing in ways we never imagined possible. Andrew now hopes to marry young and start a family, and the earlier he finishes school and starts his career, the more attainable that dream becomes.“
If you’d like to share your teen’s Happy Story with the Homeschooling for College Credit community, we’d love to hear more about your homeschool-to-college transition. Send an email to Jennifer at cookderosa@hs4cc.org.
