English Composition 1
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →New YorkHomeschool
New York's 24-credit rule for homeschoolers, subject by subject
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
New York's 24-credit rule (8 NYCRR 100.7) splits the 24 semester hours into six slots: 6 hours of English language arts, 3 of mathematics, 3 of natural science, 3 of social science, 3 of humanities, and 6 of any other course in the student's registered degree or certificate programme. A course can fill only one slot.
The six slots at a glance
The regulation lists the spread for every application made on or after 30 September 2004. Use it as a grid and fill it one course at a time.
| Slot | Hours | Typical course |
|---|---|---|
| English language arts (writing, speaking, reading/literature) | 6 | English Composition 1 and 2, or a literature course |
| Mathematics | 3 | College Algebra or Statistics |
| Natural science | 3 | Intro to Biology 1 or Chemistry |
| Social science | 3 | Introduction to Psychology or Sociology |
| Humanities | 3 | Art History or Philosophy |
| Other in the programme | 6 | Any two further courses in the degree or certificate |
English language arts: the slot with the most rules
The English slot is 6 hours and the regulation names three skills: writing, speaking and reading (literature). Two composition courses cover writing well; whether they also satisfy the reading-literature part is the registrar's call. If the college wants one literature course, swap the second composition course for American Literature and keep the composition course for the 'other' slot.
This is the one slot where we suggest asking the registrar before the first course starts, not after.
Maths, science, social science and humanities
Each of these four slots is 3 hours, which is one standard college course. Most families pick College Algebra for maths because it is the course colleges code most plainly as mathematics. For natural science, a biology or chemistry lecture is clearer than an applied course. Psychology and sociology are standard social sciences. Art history and philosophy are standard humanities.
- Maths: College Algebra, Pre-Calculus or Statistics
- Natural science: Intro to Biology 1 or Chemistry I
- Social science: Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Sociology, Macroeconomics
- Humanities: Art History 1, Principles of Philosophy
The 6 'other' hours must sit in the programme
The last 6 hours are the most flexible but carry one condition: they have to be courses within the registered degree or certificate programme the student is a candidate for. A general studies or liberal arts associate degree makes this easy because almost any course counts toward it. A narrow certificate may not.
Where recommended credit fits in the grid
Courses that carry NCCRS or ACE credit recommendations can only enter this grid via a college transcript. The college has to post them and then decide whether transferred credit counts toward the 24 hours it certifies. Some colleges run the pathway only for courses taken with them as non-matriculated students. Ask before you plan the grid around transfer credit, and keep the answer in writing.
A sample plan for a 15 or 16 year old
A teen who starts at 15 has time to spread the work. One pattern families use: two courses a term, starting with the slots that are easiest to code, then the English slot once the registrar has confirmed how literature is handled. By the time the teen reaches the age the regulation sets, the grid is full and the college only has to certify it.
Keep a running record as you go: course name, hours, the slot you planned, the date finished, and the date the college posted it. When the registrar asks for a map, it is already done. If a course is ever refused for a slot, you will see the gap at once and can fill it with one more course instead of starting again.
- Term 1: College Algebra, Introduction to Psychology
- Term 2: Intro to Biology 1, Art History 1
- Term 3: English Composition 1 and 2 (after asking about literature)
- Term 4: two programme courses for the 'other' 6 hours
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
Can one course count in two slots of the New York 24-credit rule?
Plan as if it cannot. Each slot in 8 NYCRR 100.7 is a number of semester hours, and the registrar assigns each course's hours to one area. A 3-hour psychology course fills the social science slot; it does not also fill 'other'. Ask the registrar if a course could sit in more than one area.
Does statistics count as maths for the 24 credits?
Usually a statistics course is coded as mathematics, but the college that certifies your hours decides how it codes each course. If statistics is your only maths course, ask the registrar in writing before you take it.
Is the subject spread the same for every college in New York?
Yes. The spread comes from the state regulation, not from the college. What differs between colleges is how they run the pathway, which courses they code into each slot, and whether they count transferred credit.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
College Algebra
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Art History 1
Self-paced online Art History 1 course (ART 101). NCCRS recommends 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 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.
- SUNY Onondaga Community College: 24-Credit HSE Program (official)How one SUNY college runs the pathway: the student completes the applicant section, the college records office completes its sections, attaches the transcript and mails the package to NYSED; D- or higher in each course; US college credit only. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.