English Composition 1
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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What Act 196 means for a Pennsylvania homeschool transcript
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Act 196 of 2014 amended Pennsylvania's home education law so a supervisor-issued diploma is recognised by the state. The transcript is yours to build: list each course, the credit you assigned and the grade, backed by the portfolio and the yearly evaluation. Colleges then read that transcript and decide on admission and any college credit.
What the law says
The home education law is 24 P.S. 13-1327.1, 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, and it also lists approved diploma-granting organisations for Pennsylvania residents.
The law does not hand you a transcript template. It sets the frame: a supervisor, a portfolio, a qualified evaluator each year and an evaluation sent to the district by 30 June. The transcript is the summary you write from that record.
What to put on the transcript
Colleges read many homeschool transcripts and look for the same things: what was studied, at what level, how it was graded and over which years. Keep it to one page if you can.
Decide early how you count a credit, for example one credit for a full-year course, and use the same rule every year so the transcript reads consistently.
- Student name, date of birth and graduation date.
- Each course by year, with the credit you assigned and the grade.
- A short grading scale and how you count a credit.
- College-level courses marked as such, with the provider.
- Your signature as supervisor, and the diploma date.
Listing college-level courses
If your teen took an online college-level course, list it as a high school course in the year taken and note the level. For example: English Composition 1 (college level, ACE-recommended), 1 high school credit. That tells the reader it was harder than a standard high school course.
Do not list it as college credit unless a college has reviewed it and posted it on a college transcript. If that has happened, send the college transcript too. The difference matters to admissions offices and keeps your transcript honest.
| Course | Year | HS credit | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Composition 1 | 11 | 1 | College level, ACE- or NCCRS-recommended |
| College Algebra | 11 | 1 | College level |
| US History 1 | 12 | 1 | College level |
The evaluator and the twelfth grade year
The evaluator, a licensed clinical or school psychologist or a Pennsylvania-certified teacher, reviews each year and the evaluation goes to the district by 30 June. In the final year, plan the evaluation early so the diploma date is clear for college applications. Bring the portfolio pages for any college-level course: syllabus, work samples and grades.
If you use an approved diploma-granting organisation instead of a supervisor-issued diploma, ask it how it records college-level courses, as its rules may differ from yours.
Before you send it to colleges
Ask each college on the list whether it wants anything beyond the transcript and diploma, such as course descriptions or a reading list. If you hope for college credit for any course, ask in writing whether it reviews ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit and how it wants it sent. Penn State and other universities decide for themselves.
Many families also add a short course description page for each college-level course, naming the textbook or provider, the topics and the assessment. It takes an hour to write and answers most questions an admissions reader might have, which keeps the transcript itself short and easy to scan.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
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.
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
Do I need an official template for a Pennsylvania homeschool transcript?
No template is set in the law we checked. Build a clear one-page transcript from the portfolio and evaluations, and ask each college whether it wants course descriptions as well.
Should I list ACE or NCCRS courses as college credit on the transcript?
List them as college-level high school courses unless a college has reviewed them and posted credit on its own transcript. If it has, send that college transcript separately. Mixing the two on one line confuses admissions readers, and a clear note on level is enough to show the work was demanding.
Does the evaluator sign the diploma?
The twelfth grade evaluation confirms the year. Ask your evaluator how they record readiness to graduate, and keep the signed evaluation with the diploma and transcript. If you use an approved diploma-granting organisation, ask it what it needs from the evaluator before the final year starts.
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 →
US History 1
Self-paced online US History 1 course (HIST 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Ask the colleges on your list in writing first, then choose the courses.
Sources
- Pennsylvania Department of Education: Home Education and Private Tutoring (official)Act 169 of 1988 added section 1327.1; Act 196 of 2014 added paths to a diploma with all rights and privileges; supervisor-issued homeschool diplomas are recognised by the state; evaluation by a qualified evaluator is the required proof; affidavits notarised or unsworn declarations; Act 55 of 2022 on academic courses and CTE. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Pennsylvania Department of Education: Home Education Program (24 P.S. 13-1327.1) (official)Cites 24 P.S. 13-1327.1; evaluation report for each student to the district on or before 30 June; evaluator is a licensed clinical or school psychologist or a Pennsylvania-certified teacher. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.