8 Things You Need to Know About Homeschool Diplomas
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It is graduation season! My daughter has finished all of her homeschool coursework and is set to graduate with a party in a few weeks. I shared a photo of her diploma on Instagram stories and got a few questions. Homeschooling is growing in popularity but many people have questions about homeschool diplomas.
I researched everything about homeschool diplomas and homeschool graduation when I began homeschooling high school a few years ago. I didn’t want to miss anything! The good news is that homeschool diplomas are easier than I expected.
8 Things You Need to Know About Homeschool Diplomas
1. Homeschool diplomas are generally issued by parents
Homeschool diplomas are usually issued by homeschool parents because the parents determine when a student has met the homeschool graduation requirements.
Some homeschool organizations will host a high school graduation ceremony where they present a diploma, however, those diplomas are still signed by the homeschool administrator (aka the homeschool parent.)
Some states allow a homeschooling parent to utilize a correspondence school. That school might issue the diploma. Be sure to understand your state homeschool laws though. In North Carolina, a parent can use a correspondence school but the parent is still required to open a homeschool and be the homeschool administrator. The homeschool administrator issues the diploma.
2. You can purchase a homeschool diploma
Purchasing a homeschool diploma is a popular option for homeschool families. There are a few places to order a homeschool diploma:
- HomeschoolDiplomas.Com
- Etsy
- Graduation Ink
- HSLDA
I chose to order my daughter’s diploma from HomeschoolDiplomas.com. The customization options were clearly laid out. They offer quite a few ways to personalize the diploma and I think it looks professional. The diploma fields are:
Graduate’s Name – I chose to include my daughter’s first, middle, and last name, but you can exclude the middle name if you want.
School Name – You will need to name your homeschool for the diploma. North Carolina requires a homeschool name, so I just put it on the diploma. If you are choosing a name, be sure to use a name that your student won’t mind putting on college or job applications.
Graduation Date – This is the date your student graduates.
Center Seal – You can choose from a few center seal options. My daughter and I looked at the choices together and opted for a free ‘Excellence in Home Education’ embossed seal.
Honors Seal – There is the option to add an honors seal to the diploma, but we skipped that. Colleges will see her transcript and that will show her GPA. In hindsight, I do wish I had gone ahead and added that to her high school diploma too.
Diploma Paper – I let my daughter choose which paper she liked best.
Wording – There are many different mottos available to choose from. You can also input your own motto. We joke that our family motto is ‘Don’t engage the crazy’ and my daughter suggested we put that on her diploma. I vetoed that decision and she chose from one of the suggested mottos.
There are also a few signature options. I didn’t want to sign the diploma in two spots, so I chose to have a signature line for the homeschool administrator (me) and the date.
Diploma Cover – The homeschool diplomas from HomeschoolDiploma.com come with a diploma cover. I let my daughter choose the color. The middle of the cover was embossed with the words Diploma of Graduation. I added my daughter’s name to the bottom right corner.
3. You can make a homeschool diploma
There is nothing that requires you to purchase a homeschool diploma. You can absolutely make your own diploma!
On the homeschool diploma include the following information:
- Homeschool name
- Student’s full name
- A little blurb about completing all of the requirements for high school
- Homeschool administrator name/teacher name with signature lines
- Graduation date
Homeschool diploma templates can be helpful.
4. Your homeschool diploma is valid
If you are complying with the homeschool laws in your state then your diploma is valid. A parent-issued homeschool diploma is just as valid as a diploma issued by public high schools.
5. A homeschool diploma is rarely seen
A diploma is basically a certificate signifying that a high school student has finished a course of study. Every high school graduate deserves a diploma.
However, a diploma is rarely seen unless it is displayed. It is a piece of paper that is not necessary for acceptance into colleges or trade schools.
A homeschool transcript is seen more often because that is the official document that is used for college applications.
6. A GED is not the same as a homeschool diploma
Homeschool graduates do not need to get a GED (General Equivalency Diploma).
A GED implies that a student did not finish high school. Instead, they passed a general equivalency test. A diploma shows that a student finished all of the requisite high school classes.
A GED should only be used in cases where a diploma is not an option. For example, in NC a homeschool diploma is only valid if issued to a student who finished the coursework during the compulsory education age. Anyone older would need to earn a GED.
7. Colleges accept homeschooled students
A homeschool diploma does not keep a student from obtaining a higher education.
College admission officers care that applicants have met their admission requirements, not where the student went to school. Homeschooled applicants should expect to meet or exceed the admission requirements, just like any other applicant.
Many homeschool students dual enroll in college courses at community colleges while in their junior and senior high school years. This can be helpful because it is proof that the student can succeed at the college level.
8. Employers usually accept homeschool diplomas
Technically is no federal law requiring anyone to accept any type of diploma. This also goes for public and private diplomas.
When an employer is hesitant or resistant to accepting a homeschool diploma, it is generally a misunderstanding. They are likely not aware that a homeschool diploma issued by parents is legally as valid as any diploma issued by a public school. In that case, politely forwarding the relevant legal code may help.
I hope this helps you feel confident in issuing your homeschooler a high school diploma when they have completed their studies.
Keep reading . . .
- Ultimate Guide to Hosting a Homeschool Graduation Ceremony and Party
- How to Create an Official Homeschool Transcript
- 5 Things to Know About Dual Enrollment
- Things Teens Need to Know Before College
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