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Letter of substantial equivalency or 24 credits: which is easier?
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
For college admission in New York, 8 NYCRR 3.47 accepts either a superintendent's certification that the student completed the substantial equivalent of a four-year high school course, or 24 semester hours as a recognized candidate. The letter is quicker if your district issues it; the 24 credits also lead to an HSE diploma.
What the regulation lists
8 NYCRR 3.47(a)(2) sets the admission routes into a degree programme for a candidate beyond compulsory school age. The ones homeschool families use are listed below. The superintendent's letter and the 24 hours are on the same list, so a college that follows the regulation must consider either.
- A high school diploma
- Completion of the substantial equivalent of a four-year high school course, as certified by the superintendent of schools
- A New York State high school equivalency diploma
- 24 semester hours or the equivalent as a recognized candidate
- A degree already earned
The superintendent's letter: fast, but not in your hands
The letter depends on the district reviewing the home instruction records and agreeing to certify. Where the IHIP and quarterly reports are complete and the district is willing, it can be the fastest route because no extra courses are needed. Where a district is slow or reluctant, the family has little control over the timeline.
The letter is about admission. It is not a diploma, so it may not help with an employer or the military who asks for a diploma or an HSE.
The 24 credits: slower, but you control the work
The 24-credit route needs four to eight months of steady study for most teens, plus time for the college to post the credits and NYSED's 6-8 weeks to issue the HSE diploma. In return the family ends with two things: a state diploma and a start on a degree. The work is in the student's hands, as long as the college agrees in writing how the credits will be counted.
Side by side
| Point | Superintendent's letter | 24 college credits |
|---|---|---|
| Rule | 8 NYCRR 3.47(a)(2) | 8 NYCRR 100.7 and 3.47(a)(2) |
| Who decides | The school district superintendent | The college (candidate status, transcript) and NYSED (diploma) |
| Result | Admission to a degree programme | HSE diploma plus 24 credits toward a degree |
| Time | As long as the district takes | Months of study plus about 6-8 weeks at NYSED |
| Cost | Usually none | College tuition or online course fees |
Which is easier for your family?
If your district already issues these letters and your records are complete, the letter is usually easier for admission alone. If you want a diploma, or your district does not issue letters, the 24 credits are the dependable route. Some families do both: they ask for the letter and keep earning credits, so the teen starts college with hours already done.
Questions to put to the district and the college
Whichever route you choose, settle the facts with the people who decide before the teen's last year starts. Two short emails now can save a semester later. Keep the replies with the IHIP file and the transcript.
If the district says it will certify, ask what it needs from you and how long it usually takes. If the college says it will count transferred credit toward the 24 hours, ask which courses it would place in each slot. Write down the date and the name of the office on each answer, so the record is clear if staff change.
- District: do you issue a certification of substantial equivalence for home-instructed students, and what records do you need?
- College: can a home-instructed student be a recognized candidate in your programme, and from what age?
- College: will you certify transferred credit toward the 24-credit HSE application?
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the college's registrar in writing whether transferred ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit can count toward its 24-credit HSE certification, and which courses fill which of the six slots, before you enrol.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
Does every New York district write a substantial equivalency letter?
The regulation names the superintendent's certification as a route, but the timing and process sit with each district. Ask your district in writing how it handles requests for home-instructed students and what records it wants.
Is the superintendent's letter a high school diploma?
No. Under 8 NYCRR 3.47 it is evidence for admission to a degree programme. A diploma-like credential from the state comes through the HSE diploma, which the 24-credit route can lead to.
Can a homeschool teen start college credits before deciding?
Yes. Courses taken now can count toward the 24 hours later if a college posts them and certifies them. Ask the college in writing how it will treat transferred credit before you plan on it.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Introduction to Psychology
Self-paced online Introduction to Psychology course (Psychology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Intro to Biology 1
Self-paced online Intro to Biology 1 course (Biology 100). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Plan the six slots with courses that carry NCCRS or ACE credit recommendations, then move them via a college transcript.
Sources
- 8 NYCRR 3.47, Requirements for degrees (admission routes) (official)Degree admission routes include a superintendent's certification of the substantial equivalent of a four-year high school course, an HSE diploma, or 24 semester hours as a recognized candidate; home-instructed students under compulsory age need a valid IHIP. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- 8 NYCRR 100.7, High school equivalency diploma (text of the regulation) (official)24 semester hours as a recognized candidate for a degree or certificate at an approved institution; the 6/3/3/3/3/6 distribution; age 19, or 17 with conditions such as acceptance into college. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- NYSED ACCES: College Credit pathway to the HSE diploma (official)NYSED's own page for the 24 College Credit pathway: credits in a degree or certificate programme at a US college, distribution rules, about 6-8 weeks to process a complete application (read from the search listing; the site blocked a direct fetch). Checked on 15 Nov 2026.