May a home schooled student self-certify completion of a secondary education in a home school?
A. Yes. The USDE has clarified that a home schooled student may self-certify completion of a home schooled secondary education, just as a high school graduate may self-certify receipt of a diploma. Home schooled students need not obtain a state certification of home school completion unless the law of the state in which they completed their home schooling requires a state-approved certificate of home school completion. Because the current FAFSA does not provide a field for self-certification of home school completion, the USDE expects schools to accept self-certifications in application documents, in a letter, or in another appropriate document. Source: Preamble to the Federal Register dated July 16, 1999, p. 38505; Private guidance letter from the USDE to the Home School Legal Defense Association dated April 19, 2002 Information Sharing (back to top) Q. Must a school obtain a signed authorization for the release of information from a student (or if applicable student’s parent,) before
