Advantages of Non-Accredited HomeSchools

Depending on state laws, there are two ways to teach students at home. One is to create a non-accredited homeschool (legal in all 50 states and accepted by colleges), and the other is to enroll your students in an accredited school that provides lessons taught in your home. Both paths offer "school at home," but there are some differences to consider, as the non-accredited homeschool offers advantages through its curriculum, dual credit, and the pace of learning. What is an Accredited School? An online, accredited school meets the requirements established by an outside accrediting agency to ensure it meets specific educational standards. The academic level of one accredited school is equivalent to that of another school when the same organization accredits both. The accredited online school controls the education of the students. The accredited school sets the curriculum, provides study materials, grades students' work, maintains students' records, produces transcripts for students, and issues diplomas to students. What is a Non-Accredited Homeschool? At a non-accredited homeschool, parents have total control of the school but must comply with state regulations. Parents set the curriculum, provide study materials, maintain school records, create and sign transcripts, and issue diplomas. Parents have complete responsibility for educating their students and complying with any regulations that apply to their homeschool. Our homeschool was non-accredited. Curriculum: The non-accredited homeschool offers flexibility in teaching subjects that parents choose, in the order they choose. The standard approach does not bind the homeschool curriculum. For example, one homeschool can focus more on religion, while another can focus more on arts and crafts, and still another will emphasize technology. Curriculum is covered in The First Homeschool Years and The Middle Years Approximately 5 to 11. Dual Credit: Non-accredited Homeschools can choose from hundreds of college credit courses that can be placed on the homeschool transcript to facilitate dual credit for high school and college. Homeschool dual credit options can be specifically chosen to meet the requirements of a future college and major. An accredited school may offer dual credit courses, but the choices and amount of dual credit are likely to be limited. Dual credit is covered here Dual Credit and College Credit, Alternative College Credit, and here Alternative College Credit Courses. College Acceptance: How does a student get accepted into college when the parent of the student signs the homeschool transcript? Every college our parents contacted accepted non-accredited homeschool transcripts enthusiastically. No college said there were different requirements for accredited versus non-accredited transcripts. The highest-ranked colleges accept non-accredited transcripts, including Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and the University of California. For the first year or freshman acceptance to college, a college may require all applicants to take a standardized entrance test called the SAT or ACT exam. Transfer students with college credits and good grades are usually admitted without any additional requirements. We applied and were accepted as transfer students to college because we had completed over 60 college credits using dual credit, which was proof to our college that we were capable of completing college. This website covers dual college credit and Selecting and Entering College.

Pace of Study: Our parents were also aware that schools have incentives to keep students enrolled, as accredited schools receive payment by the grade or the school year. Non-accredited homeschools have no incentive to prolong the years their students stay in school, so we finished six years ahead of the accredited schools. The Benefits of Early Graduation is covered here. The primary distinction between homeschooling and an online accredited school is that with non accredited homeschooling, the parent assumes more responsibility but benefits from greater freedom to educate their children in the way they want. The non-accredited homeschool offers more flexibility with increased curriculum options, dual credit choices, and students advance at their own pace. Both accredited and non-accredited homeschools allow children to learn at home, which is a plus.

Next - The Middle Years (approximately 5 to 11):