Many families considering home education for the high school years are already homeschooling and wonder if they can continue past the elementary or middle school grade levels.

The answer is unequivocally, yes!

Many families continue the homeschool journey all the way to the finish line. Georgia is blessed to have a vast array of resources to meet the varying needs of students and parents at this level of education. GHEA encourages families to continue the homeschool journey all the way through to high school graduation. We are here to help and encourage you every step of the way!

Planning for High School

While planning for high school may seem overwhelming at first, it is a very achievable goal that can be met by breaking down the process into smaller, specific, actionable steps. Just as in planning for any destination we desire to reach, we can start with the end in mind.

• What will my student do after graduation from high school?
• Will he attend college?
• Will she enter the mission field?
• Is a technical school going to be the next step?

Answering these questions will help both student and parent plan the high school road map.

Preparing for Life After High School

“What will you do when you graduate?” is often a daunting question, and students entering ninth grade are often unable to answer this question. Therefore, it often makes sense to prepare for as broad a range of opportunities as possible. The most common way of being well prepared is to plan a college preparatory course of study. This will allow your student to be ready to apply to college, technical school, or the military.

While students attending Georgia public high schools have very specific graduation requirements specified by the state, your homeschool student does not. As a point of reference, GHEA recommends that you familiarize yourself with the requirements of Georgia public high schools as you develop a course of study including credits similar to those required by Georgia public high schools. A well-planned course of study will prepare your student for just about any path he chooses.

What About a Diploma?

All states in the United States of America have granted homeschoolers the right to confer a diploma to their high school graduate. The diploma that you award to your student is the legal equivalent of a diploma awarded by a private or public secondary institution. This diploma certifies that your student has completed the course of study that you require him to complete. That course of study is decided upon by each individual homeschool family.

As you begin to explore your options for charting your student’s high school years of study, remember that our state has granted homeschooling students the freedom to develop the course of education that will help them meet their personal goals. Time spent helping your student develop goals for his/her life after high school will be an investment not only for his/her future, but for the time spent in high school as well. The very best way to homeschool through high school is with a plan which will help your child reach his/her personal goals.