Ask Jeanne: Do Homeschoolers Get a Diploma?

Homeschool Laws

First, you need to understand that homeschooling is administered state-by-state, and each state has its own laws governing homeschooling. One of the initial steps you should take is to find a state-wide homeschooling group that is located in your state and consult their website for information about the state laws where you live.

My experience is that national groups and local or state school authorities themselves do not have the best information about homeschooling, unless they are providing links directly to those state-wide homeschooling groups. National groups are unable to keep up with changes in fifty states' laws and often don't understand the nuances as practiced in each state. School authorities are the experts on school, not homeschooling, and they may unintentionally mix up expectations for school children with those of homeschooling.

Your best authority on homeschool law is your statewide homeschool organization, with a strong local homeschool organization or longtime local homeschooling parent being excellent alternatives. Ask the right people to get the applicable answers.

That said, in general, homeschoolers get a diploma when their parents give them one. They do not typically receive a diploma from their school divisions or the state where they live. While school authorities often make a big deal out of whether teens will have or won't have a diploma from their school, most of the time, this is not an issue for homeschoolers.

Job & College Applications

When young adult homeschooled graduates are asked on a job application, "Are you a high school graduate?" they mark Yes. They graduated from homeschooling when they completed their work and their parents (often with their child's input) decided they were graduated. This often means having completed work similar to that of their peers who attended school, but not always.

When they are asked, "Do you have a diploma?" they mark Yes. Their parents gave them a diploma.

When they are asked, "Name of high school," they either write "homeschooled" or the name of their homeschool, since it is a legal requirement in some states to name your homeschool, and since other families have a tradition of naming their homeschool.

Now, the trick is, if a prospective employer or institution of higher education wants to see evidence that a graduate was really homeschooled and well-educated rather than a "dropout," then the graduate needs to be able to do two things—(1) provide written evidence, typically through a homeschool transcript and other evidence, and (2) talk the talk of authentic homeschooling. Keeping records showing that the family met the statutory homeschooling requirements of the state in which they homeschooled is a good practice.

High school graduates who intend to pursue higher education need more than a diploma, and that's the case whether they are homeschool graduates or graduates of a public or private school. They also need a transcript.

Parents can and should consider how homeschoolers get into college and make decisions about their child's homeschooled education with an eye toward keeping the door open. That is, if a child wants to attend college, his or her parents should be helping along the way to make sure this can happen, certainly starting to think about this by around eighth grade.

Regardless of post-graduation plans, parents have an obligation to provide permanently accessible homeschool records to their homeschooled children. Read Homeschool Record Keeping: What, Why and How for more information on homeschool records.

Parents help their kids study the typical courses and have the skills required for higher education. Families using a less common approach to home education look at how others using that approach have navigated work and higher education so they can help their kids prepare.

Homeschoolers typically do not have an issue with not having a state-awarded diploma when they want to go to college. They have to show they can do college-level work, but they can do it in multiple ways. They can:

• Provide a homeschool transcript listing what they studied in high school
• Include outside evidence of college readiness
• Attend community college classes through homeschool dual enrollment

More selective colleges and universities might be interested in seeing test scores. Most college and university websites now feature admissions policies for homeschoolers, and most welcome questions from homeschooling students and their parents.

The best preparation is to pick a few likely possible colleges and look at their requirements before the high school years. Networking with other homeschoolers and learning about college admission is important, and there are homeschool conferences and books that offer this kind of information.

But a state-awarded diploma for college admission? Not a necessity at all.

Keep in mind that students who graduate from state-accredited high schools do get diplomas, but that doesn't ensure they get admitted to the colleges of their choice either. They, too, have to do their homework regarding taking the right courses and making themselves attractive candidates for admission—just like homeschoolers.

A long-term homeschooler is considered a desirable employee and a desirable student, and admissions counselors and prospective employers ask questions that give these homeschooled students plenty of opportunity to distinguish themselves as homeschoolers—who are worthy of the diplomas their parents granted.

Military

Homeschoolers with a parent-issued diploma are considered Tier 1 military recruits—the same as public school graduates. Read more about going from homeschooling to the military.

Vocational and Trade Schools

It may seem strange, but another area where a diploma from an accredited high school may matter is in particular vocational training and vocational or trade schools, such as massage schools or technical schools that are not associated with community colleges.

These schools, often for-profit, have been under increasing scrutiny for offering financial aid through loan programs to students who end up not completing their program or not finding employment in the vocational field. Because these students end up owing a lot of money for education that may not result in employment, these schools may use "having a high school diploma from an accredited institution" as a kind of benchmark that "proves" they are offering loans only to students who have a true ability to benefit.

Ironically, this policy by some for-profit vocational schools has resulted in some of the least flexible policies homeschoolers have seen regarding diplomas if those homeschoolers are heading to those schools immediately following their graduation from homeschooling as 18 year olds. Some of these types of schools will accept diplomas from co-ops and university model schools (a kind of homeschool/high school hybrid) when they do not accept parent-generated diplomas. And in some states and locales, even these schools accept parent-awarded diplomas, so it's not a problem everywhere.

If you think your child may want to go the route of one of these vocational schools, seventh grade would not be too early to begin asking questions about what they require in your area. Keep in mind that most similar programs associated with community colleges seem much more open to homeschool diplomas awarded by parents—but check ahead.

Taking on homeschooling as a parent should mean taking on the responsibility of keeping doors open for your children.

Transcripts

In addition to the other strategies mentioned here to keep doors open, some homeschoolers use accredited correspondence or distance education schools if they feel their child will need that diploma from an accredited school rather than a parent-generated one.

Debate can ensue about whether students using these programs attend "virtual private schools" or are authentic homeschoolers. A similar debate occurs when students learn at home using an online curriculum provided for free by schools run by the state government.

These students may receive diplomas from accredited institutions, but many homeschoolers who have tried it find it's not worth the trade-off. While it's a valid form of education that may solve problems for some children, these "virtual public schools" often have little of the flexibility and customization of independent homeschooling, often requiring the same "seat time," testing, and standardized learning that are reasons many leave public school in the first place.

Flexibility vs. Accreditation

Most long-term homeschoolers would say they'd rather have the independence to customize learning experiences and not have a diploma from an accredited institution, which currently does not seem to be a barrier if parents use forethought in keeping doors open for their children.

If the importance of getting a diploma has been brought up to you by family members as a reason not to homeschool, now you have the information to counter that assertion. Homeschoolers with parent-awarded diplomas are doing great things in the world without doors being closed to them.

I do homeschool evaluations in the state of Virginia, and I regularly see homeschoolers I've worked with attend some of the most prestigious and selective public and private universities, in our state and out. Their only diploma is the one granted by their parents.

Have they and their parents seen that they do other things during their teen years to meet admissions criteria of these selective institutions? Indeed they have. And many more homeschoolers go on to less selective colleges and universities, too, depending on their interests and preparation during high school.

Convincing your family members about the worthiness of homeschooling besides the diploma issue is a whole 'nother topic, which I have addressed in a different post. Take a look at the benefits of homeschooling (both academic and non-academic) your family may come to appreciate.

Your family members may be surprised that not only does homeschooling not have to close doors, but it can provide unique opportunities for customized education throughout a child's growing-up years.