Texas Homeschooling FAQ

1. What is required to homeschool in Texas?

Instruction must be genuine, with a curriculum in visual form, such as books, workbooks or material on a screen. It must cover reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics and good citizenship.

Source: Texas Home School Coalition: homeschool requirements (opens in a new tab)

Those basics are the legal starting point for a much broader education. Science experiments, history, literature, art, foreign languages, field trips and practical skills can all have a place in your family's plan. Good citizenship might include learning how government works, studying founding documents, or discussing rights and responsibilities.

2. Is your Texas homeschool a private school?

Texas treats qualifying homeschools as private schools for the compulsory attendance exemption. The Texas Supreme Court's Leeper decision established that home education can satisfy that exemption. This does not make a homeschool state accredited. TEA does not register, approve or accredit homeschool programs.

Source: Texas Education Agency: Home Schooling (opens in a new tab)

3. Can I give my homeschool a name?

You can choose a name, but a special school name is optional. A simple label such as Smith Homeschool makes the school's identity clear. A name does not confer accreditation, and college or financial aid forms may ask you to identify the school specifically as a homeschool.

THSC currently recommends simply using Homeschool on official documents. Whatever you choose for your family's everyday use, follow each institution's instructions when completing applications.

Source: Texas Home School Coalition: naming a homeschool (opens in a new tab)

4. How do I start homeschooling?

If your child is currently enrolled in public school, withdraw the child in writing. TEA says a signed and dated parent or guardian letter stating that the student is being homeschooled and when homeschooling began is sufficient documentation. A personal meeting or curriculum review is not required to withdraw.

A district may request a written assurance that your homeschool curriculum covers the required basic subjects. TEA says that assurance is not an annual requirement.

Source: TEA: Home Schools policy letter (opens in a new tab)

5. What records should I keep?

For your own organization, keep a copy of the withdrawal and begin a simple record system. Save course plans, completed work and progress notes. In high school, update credits and grades each semester so you are building the transcript as you go.

6. Do Texas homeschoolers need 26 credits to graduate?

Texas does not impose the public school 26-credit graduation plan on homeschools. Parents determine their homeschool's graduation requirements and issue its diploma and transcript. The state does not issue a homeschool diploma.

Source: Texas Home School Coalition: homeschool graduation (opens in a new tab)

7. What do 22 credits, 26 credits and endorsements mean?

The Foundation High School Program is the Texas public school graduation framework. Its baseline course requirements total 22 credits. An endorsement is a concentration of related courses that shows a student's study in a particular area, a little like choosing a focus in high school.

The five endorsement areas are STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), Business and Industry, Public Service, Arts and Humanities, and Multidisciplinary Studies.

Without an endorsement means the student completes the 22-credit foundation requirements without also earning one of those concentrations. Public schools have an opt-out process and other graduation requirements, so families using that route should work with their school counselor.

With an endorsement means the student completes the foundation requirements plus a fourth math credit, a fourth science credit, two additional elective credits, and the specific courses for the chosen endorsement. That brings the total to at least 26 credits. The required concentration courses can fit within that total; an endorsement is not a separate diploma or an extra 26 credits.

These labels describe the public school framework. Texas homeschool parents may use it to plan a balanced high school education, but a homeschool diploma does not require a state-issued endorsement or approval.

Source: TEA Graduation Toolkit: Foundation High School Program (opens in a new tab)

Here is the credit distribution for comparison. This is a public school reference, not a legal homeschool graduation checklist.

The 26-credit framework includes four English language arts credits, four math credits and four science credits. Earning 26 credits alone also does not necessarily fulfill a particular endorsement.

8. Has the public school graduation plan changed?

There is a recent public school update worth knowing: students entering ninth grade in the 2026 to 2027 school year or later must take one-half credit of personal financial literacy in place of the previous one-half credit economics requirement. Earlier cohorts retain their earlier requirements. This change does not create a new homeschool graduation mandate.

Source: TEA: September 2026 social studies graduation update (opens in a new tab)

9. How should I plan high school with college in mind?

When making your own high school plan, look ahead to the colleges, majors or career training your student might pursue. A college may expect particular math courses, lab sciences or foreign language preparation beyond the legal minimum for homeschooling.

10. Can parents prepare their own homeschool transcripts?

Your transcript is the organized record of your student's high school education. It should make the work easy for someone outside your family to understand.

A useful transcript checklist includes:

• Student's name and homeschool identification and contact information.
• Courses by school year, with grades and high school credits earned.
• A clear grading scale and explanation of how GPA is calculated.
• Expected or actual graduation date.
• Identification of dual credit courses and the college that provided them.
• Parent or administrator signature and date.

Keep course descriptions and supporting records alongside the transcript. They can explain a literature course built from several books, a lab science course, or an elective developed around serious study and practice.

11. Will colleges accept a homeschool transcript?

Colleges do accept homeschool transcripts, but admission depends on the college's full requirements. UT Austin, for example, asks homeschooled applicants for courses at each grade level, brief course descriptions, the format of instruction, and the signature of the adult primarily responsible for their education. It also requires college transcripts documenting dual credit enrollment.

Source: UT Austin Admissions: homeschooled applicants and transcripts (opens in a new tab)

Treat the parent transcript and the college transcript as separate records. Adding ACC classes to the homeschool transcript does not replace the official ACC transcript a future university may request.

12. What is the difference between dual enrollment and dual credit?

Dual enrollment broadly describes studying at a college while also being a high school student. Dual credit means a college course counts toward both college and high school credit after successful completion. Institutions sometimes use the terms differently, so ask exactly what their program awards.

Source: ACC: Dual Credit glossary (opens in a new tab)

13. How do I record dual credit on the homeschool transcript?

For a homeschool family, plan how a college course fits your high school requirements before registration. Keep the college course title and number, the college's semester credit hours, and the high school credit you award clearly identified. Three college semester credit hours should not be recorded as three high school credits just because the number is the same.

A student might take English, history, Spanish or an arts course through a community college while continuing other subjects at home. Those are possibilities to explore with an advisor, not a course schedule every student needs.

14. Can homeschoolers take dual enrollment outside ACC?

Yes. ACC is one option among many. Texas community colleges and some universities offer ways for eligible homeschool students to take college courses during high school. Each college sets its enrollment process, course prerequisites and charges.

Our existing resource cards include options around Texas, including Temple College, Palo Alto College, Lone Star College, Dallas College, Tarrant County College, Collin College and others. The cards link to each college's official homeschool or dual credit information.

Browse the Dual Enrollment & Early College resource cards

Start with the college's homeschool or dual credit office. Ask about admission, any age or grade requirements, college readiness testing or exemptions, residency rules, the homeschool agreement, and the courses your student wants to take. Then check how those courses fit both your high school plan and a future degree.

15. Is all homeschool dual enrollment free in Texas?

No. There is no blanket rule making every homeschool dual enrollment program free. Costs depend on the college, the program, where the student lives and which courses qualify for a waiver. Tuition-free also does not always mean free books, supplies or course fees.

For example, ACC advertises a tuition and fee waiver for up to 60 eligible dual credit hours for students in its service area. Palo Alto College's linked homeschool payment guide lists a $100 cost-share fee per course section, plus instructional materials when applicable. Ask each college for its current total before registering.

Source: ACC Dual Credit Costs (opens in a new tab)

Source: Palo Alto College homeschool payment guide (opens in a new tab)

Compare the Dual Enrollment & Early College resource cards

16. Where can I find the details about ACC dual enrollment?

Our separate ACC FAQ explains the homeschool enrollment process, the TSIA2, eligible tuition waivers, books and other charges, and the difference between ACC's service area and its smaller taxing district.

Those boundaries matter. ACC's high school dual credit waiver and its Free Tuition program after graduation are different programs. Living in the service area does not automatically remove out-of-district charges after high school.

Read the ACC Dual Enrollment FAQ for Homeschool Families

Source: ACC Free Tuition (opens in a new tab)

17. Will dual credit classes transfer to a university?

Before registering, ask two separate questions: Will this course transfer, and will it satisfy a requirement for the degree my student wants? Those answers can be different.

Use the destination university's course equivalency information and degree plan, together with ACC's transfer guides. Keep a written plan showing how proposed classes fit. An associate degree or a collection of transferable courses does not automatically complete every requirement for a bachelor's degree.

Source: ACC: University transfer guides and course equivalencies (opens in a new tab)

18. How much college coursework should my student take?

College classes also call for growing independence. Discuss the workload alongside dance, jobs, sports and family commitments. Starting with a manageable schedule gives the student room to learn how college works.

19. Can parents communicate with ACC advisors and professors?

Parents can coordinate with ACC's homeschool support team, but ACC expects students to communicate directly with professors about their coursework. Build the habit of checking college email, following the syllabus and asking for help early.

Source: ACC: Homeschool parent and student responsibilities (opens in a new tab)

20. Do I have to plan every school year before I begin?

Begin with the child in front of you. Choose a workable plan, keep clear records, and look ahead often enough to preserve the next opportunity. In high school, that means making room for the student's interests while checking the actual expectations of colleges and career programs.

Homeschooling in Texas gives families room to build an education around their children. A transcript, a thoughtful graduation plan and the right community college classes can help turn that freedom into a practical path forward.

21. Where can I find homeschool groups, resources and events?

Explore HomeschoolTexas.com for groups, resources, events and places to learn with other families.

Homeschool events · Groups & Resources · Field Trip Field Guides