Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
To homeschool Pennsylvania teens toward a diploma, the law at 24 P.S. 13-1327.1, amended by Act 196 of 2014, lets the home education supervisor issue a diploma the state recognises, after a qualified evaluator reviews the year. The supervisor decides which courses count. College-level courses can fill high school credits, and a college decides separately whether to grant college credit.
Under 24 P.S. 13-1327.1, as amended by Act 196 of 2014, a home education supervisor in Pennsylvania may issue a high school diploma that the state recognises, and each year a qualified evaluator (a licensed psychologist or a Pennsylvania-certified teacher) reviews the programme and sends the evaluation to the school district by 30 June.
The rule asks for No college credit count is set by the state; the supervisor decides which high school courses a college-level course fills. The legal source is 24 P.S. 13-1327.1.
| Item | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Home education law | 24 P.S. 13-1327.1, added by Act 169 of 1988 | [2] |
| Diploma | Act 196 of 2014: supervisor-issued homeschool diplomas are recognised by the state | [1] |
| Yearly evaluation | Qualified evaluator reviews each year; report to the district by 30 June | [2] |
| Who can evaluate | Licensed clinical or school psychologist, or a Pennsylvania-certified teacher | [2] |
| District courses and activities | Act 55 of 2022: districts must let home-educated children take part in cocurricular activities, academic courses and CTE | [1] |
Pennsylvania Department of Education (home education); your school district of residence (affidavit and evaluation) decides how this rule applies to you. We read its published rule and the pages below; each was checked on 15 Nov 2026.
Each course below is ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended for college credit. Whether it counts here is the decision of the college and of Pennsylvania Department of Education (home education); your school district of residence (affidavit and evaluation).
A college-level English course that can also fill a high school English year.
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
A maths course many families use for an upper high school year.
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Fills a social studies year at college level.
Self-paced online US History 1 course (HIST 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
A science course for an upper high school year.
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 →
A popular elective with a clear college equivalent.
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 →
A maths elective that many degree plans ask for.
Self-paced online Principles of Statistics course (Statistics 101). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Thomas Edison State University (TESU), University of the People and Newlane University are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. Penn State and other Pennsylvania universities decide for themselves.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
| Option | Price | For this rule | Price checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPI Study, homeschool lifetime | $250 once, every course | $250 gives homeschool families lifetime access to all UPI Study courses. | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Pennsylvania Highlands ACE dual enrollment | $73 per credit (subject to change) | For students at partner school districts; four 3-credit courses about $876 | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Sophia Learning | $99 a month | Four courses in 3-4 months: about $297-$396 | 15 Nov 2026 |
| StraighterLine | $99 a month plus $79 per course | Four courses in 3-4 months: about $613-$712 | 15 Nov 2026 |
Prices checked 15 Nov 2026. A community college course posts on that college's transcript directly; a recommended course needs a college to review it. Ask the target college which it prefers.
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.
Before your teen enrols, ask each college on the list, in writing, whether it reviews ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit and how it wants that credit sent.
Pennsylvania's home education law is section 1327.1 of the Public School Code, cited as 24 P.S. 13-1327.1. It was added by Act 169 of 1988. Act 196 of 2014 amended it to add paths to a high school diploma with all the rights and privileges the Commonwealth gives. The Department of Education says supervisor-issued homeschool diplomas are recognised by the state.
There are two routes. The home education supervisor, usually a parent, can issue the diploma, or a family can use one of the diploma-granting organisations approved by the Department of Education, which may grant diplomas only to Pennsylvania residents. Either way, the yearly evaluation by a qualified evaluator is the required proof that the programme is working.
The law lists minimum courses for grades 9 to 12, which your evaluator will check. Within those, the supervisor decides how each course is taught and which requirement it fills. A college-level English composition course can be a high school English year; College Algebra can be a maths year; US History can be a social studies year. Record each one in the portfolio with the materials and the grade.
That high school credit is the parent's decision. College credit is a different question, and only a college can answer it. If your teen takes an ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended course, the credit reaches a university via a college transcript only if a college reviews it. Ask the colleges on your list before your teen enrols.
Many Pennsylvania homeschool families aim for Penn State. Penn State is not a UPI Study partner and reviews credit itself. Before your teen takes a course in the hope of college credit there, email the admissions office, name the course and its recommendation, and ask whether it would be reviewed for credit or only seen as evidence of a strong high school record.
Even when a university does not grant credit, college-level courses on a homeschool transcript can show readiness. The written answer tells you which of the two you are getting, so you can plan the right number of courses.
Yes. The Department of Education says supervisor-issued homeschool diplomas are recognised by the state. Act 196 of 2014 added paths to a diploma with all the rights and privileges the Commonwealth gives, under the home education law at 24 P.S. 13-1327.1.
The home education supervisor, usually a parent, or a diploma-granting organisation approved by the Department of Education. Those organisations may grant diplomas only to Pennsylvania residents. The yearly evaluation by a qualified evaluator remains the required proof.
Yes, if the supervisor decides it fills a requirement and records it in the portfolio. The evaluator reviews the year. Whether the same course also earns college credit is a separate decision each college makes.
A licensed clinical or school psychologist, or a teacher certified by the Commonwealth, according to the Department of Education. The evaluation report goes to your school district of residence on or before 30 June.
Penn State decides for itself and is not a UPI Study partner. Email its admissions office with the exact course and its ACE or NCCRS recommendation and ask in writing whether it would review it for credit.
The Department of Education says Act 55 of 2022 requires districts to let a child in a home education programme take part in cocurricular activities, academic courses and CTE programmes. Check your district's board policy for how to apply.
Ask the colleges on your list in writing first, then choose the courses.