Homeschool Diplomas

Homeschool diplomas are documents that certify students have completed high school graduation requirements. They also serve as keepsakes and visual reminders of student accomplishments.

Unless your child has completed high school through a private school or distance learning program that issues diplomas, you as a parent will have to issue his or her diploma.

You can issue your child's diploma once your child has met your homeschool graduation requirements. Here are some tips for creating or purchasing a diploma.

Creating a Home School Diploma

Home school diplomas that will be shown to colleges and potential employers should be professional in appearance. Print the diploma on high quality paper, and make sure it:

• contains the student's full name,
• states that the student has completed program requirements for a high school diploma, and
• is signed and dated by the individual(s) who oversaw the child's education (in most cases, the parents).

Here's a free, downloadable home school diploma template.

Purchasing a Home School Diploma

If you want a professionally-printed document, you may want to purchase a pre-printed diploma that you can fill out and sign. You can also order a high-quality, personalized diploma that rivals those issued by public and private schools.

Homeschool Diploma is a family-owned business that supplies diplomas to almost 500 traditional schools and thousands of homeschoolers each year. You can save money by choosing their standard diploma, or upgrade your purchase to include higher-quality paper, a special seal, customized signature blocks, a Bible verse, and hand calligraphy for your student's name.

Accreditation

Your child's home school diploma does not have to be accredited. Many private and public schools are not accredited, yet the diplomas they issue are still recognized by employers, colleges and universities.

Most employers simply want to acknowledgment that your child has a diploma certifying that he or she has completed high school. Most colleges and universities will focus on evaluating your child through transcripts, essays, work samples and personal interviews, instead of considering the accreditation status of the school that issued his or her diploma.

GED Exam

Taking the General Educational Development exam (GED exam) is an alternative to obtaining a high school diploma, and is often not necessary for homeschool students. Employers and colleges sometimes view the GED as a signal that students either dropped out of high school or were unable to successfully complete their high school course requirements. If your child has met your home school graduation requirements, he or she has earned a diploma, and should receive one.