College? Homeschooler's Can't Get into a College!

Our oldest just graduated high school and we've been navigating college applications, testing, enrollment, and FAFSA. Here's what we've learned: 

Can Homeschoolers go to College?

Absolutely! Homeschoolers can thrive in the college setting. According to HSLDA, a review of several independent studies demonstrates that homeschoolers score above and beyond their public schooled peers of like age. That means that homeschoolers might actually have an easier time in college than public and private school students!

What do I need to do to ensure my homeschooler can go to college???

As parents, the best thing we can do is provide our children with the best possible education. If we support them in pursuing their interests throughout their educational journey, they will generally do the rest. But, that doesn't mean we are "off the hook" so to speak. We need to do our research. Each college and university will have different requirements, but ALL will require your homeschooler's high school transcripts. Scary words, I know! But they're actually not that difficult to create. 

First, remember that you should keep detailed records of what you study!

I recommend starting to keep careful records when your child reaches Seventh or Eighth grade. This will give you time to practice with different programs or techniques. Some homeschool programs include tracking software and templates. Schoolhouse Teachers, for example, has AppleCore included in your subscription. Applecore will allow you to create your transcripts easily, and you can keep track of grades, activities, field trips, and attendance. Time4Learning also provides a transcript template and keeps track of your students hours of study and grades. Some parents utilize a physical gradebook whereas others create an Excel spreadsheet. The important thing is that you keep track! You state's education website is a great source, too. 

How do you determine credits? One high school credit equals about 120-180 hours of instruction. That's about 1 hour a day, five days a week, throughout the school year. If your student attends a co-op or takes a course outside of your home, you can still award credit for these activities, and partial credits are completely normal. Most states have a minimum number of credits to meet graduation requirements. In the United States, your student will need 18-24 credits to graduate (you'll want to check your state guidelines). 

But wait...isn't there testing? What happened to the SAT & ACT?

Yes, your student will need to take some kind of standardized test to enroll in college courses. Many local high schools will allow your homeschooler to take the ACT/SAT with their 10th-12th graders. Call the office to find out when they offer the test and see if they'll let your student jump in! Another option is to call a local testing center at a community college to see if they proctor one of these exams. They will usually let you set up a time to come and take the examination. Our graduate opted not to take the SAT/ACT and instead chose to take the Accuplacer test. This test is taken at the local community college or university and is proctored in their testing center. In our case, the test was taken on a computer. If the college or university your child wants to attend isn't nearby, no problem! The testing school will send the results to your selected college or university. Also, if your student fails a specific portion of the exam, they can retake just that portion for around $5. 

The long and short of it is that yes, your homeschooled graduate can attend any college or university they want. Filling out your FAFSA is pretty much the same as it is for a public school student, and yes, your student can qualify for Scholarships, Grants, and Student loans. There is definitely a learning curve when navigating the application process, but it is not much different than it was when I navigated it as a newly graduated public schooler. Don't let fear that your student can't get into a good college stop you from homeschooling through high school. Many of the best colleges even prefer and seek out homeschooled students!