Do homeschoolers need an accredited diploma to get into college?
I keep hearing about accredited diplomas and programs now that my son is in middle school. Do homeschoolers need an accredited diploma to get into college?
There’s a lot of confusion around accreditation when it comes to homeschooling. First of all, curriculum can’t be accredited; only institutions can be accredited. So unless you’re enrolled in an accredited institution — which makes you a student at that institution rather than a homeschooler — you won’t receive an accredited diploma.
And that’s fine! No U.S. state requires any homeschool curriculum or diploma to be accredited. Some homeschoolers look into accreditation because they plan to return to traditional school at some point and want the work they did as homeschoolers to “count.” In most states, it will count whether it’s accredited or not until your student starts 9th grade; from 9th grade on, homeschool credits probably won’t count as required credits toward graduation whether they are accredited or not. U.S. public high schools also don’t always accept credits from private schools or public schools in other states, so if you know your plans include a return to public high school after 9th grade, accreditation may not be the solution you need. (In that case, it’s smart to talk to a counselor at the actual school you want to attend; they can give you the best advice about transferring as a homeschooler.)
As far as life after high school, it’s worth asking yourself whether anyone has ever checked that your high school diploma is accredited. (Don’t assume it is if you graduated from a public high school! Not all public schools in the United States are actually accredited.) My hybrid high school is not accredited, and our graduates go on to great colleges every year. Colleges are waking up to the fact that homeschoolers make great additions to the university scene, and in recent years — especially since COVID threw learning off the rails — they’ve become much more flexible about requirements for homeschooled applicants. You may have a few hoops to jump through with some colleges or after-high school programs if you bypass accreditation (here in Georgia, for example, you’ve got to hit a certain SAT score to qualify for the state’s merit-based HOPE scholarship if you graduate as a homeschooler), but if you’ve made it through SAT tests, dual enrollment, AP classes, and all the rest of it with your homeschooler, you’re probably pretty good at jumping though a few hoops. You don’t need an accredited diploma, and most homeschoolers won’t have one.
So why consider accreditation? If your son has his heart set on one of the very few universities or programs that actually requires an accredited diploma, it’s obviously worth setting the wheels in motion to obtain one. If you’re hoping to get certain state-funded college financial aid, check the requirements — an accredited diploma might be a smart choice for students who struggle with tests if it overrides a minimum-score requirement. I’ve had students get their diplomas at our hybrid homeschool accredited through Bridgeway Academy and Clonlara School. (It feels a little like paying to get your diploma rubber-stamped, but sometimes a rubber stamp gives you extra peace of mind.)
Bottom line: The transcript is what counts. Your child’s classes, test scores, and other academic and extracurricular achievements are what colleges will really be looking at.
