A real, home-made diploma for your student

Can a parent really issue a diploma?

Yes. A parent- or school-issued diploma is recognized in nearly every state, and you do not need accreditation or anyone's permission to issue one.

• •Accreditation applies to schools, not to diplomas.
• •The authority comes from the school or program your child completed, plus your signature as the parent or administrator.
• •It functions the same way a public-school diploma does (and in some states, like Pennsylvania, it is legally equal).

Sources: HSLDA: Diploma FAQs · HSLDA: There's no “state-issued” homeschool diploma

Isn't this just a workaround?

No. It is the real thing, not a novelty. The largest home-education legal group in the country tells parents to issue their own diploma rather than get a GED, which can read as not having finished.

Source: HSLDA: Homeschoolers and the GED

What if a college or the military asks for it?

It depends who is asking.

• •Colleges lead with the transcript - courses, credits, grades, test scores. The diploma is mostly the keepsake.
• •The U.S. military asks for both the diploma and a transcript, and counts homeschool grads the same as public-school grads.
• •So keep a transcript ready alongside the diploma either way.

Sources: HSLDA: Entering the military · HSLDA Transcript Service

What if an employer asks for my diploma?

Hand them this one. An employer almost always just needs a diploma on file - a box to check.

• •There's no national registry of diplomas to check it against; verification just means contacting whoever issued it.
• •A real example: a homeschool grad with 15 years of manufacturing experience nearly lost a job offer when compliance demanded a 'state-issued homeschool diploma' - which doesn't exist. HSLDA confirmed parents issue diplomas, and his mom's kept records sealed the job.

Source: HSLDA: When an employer asks for a “state-issued” diploma

What should it actually say?

Five things, and the rest is decoration:

• •That it is a diploma
• •The graduate's name
• •That the course of study is complete
• •The signature of the parent or administrator
• •The date

Source: HSLDA: Diploma FAQs

Are there state rules to know about?

Most states leave it to you. Some set specific requirements, so check your state's law before issuing one:

• •States like Pennsylvania, New York, North Dakota, and South Carolina spell out required courses or subjects - confirm the credits first.
• •New York is the notable exception: parents there cannot issue a state-recognized diploma on their own, and document completion through the local superintendent instead.
• •California: most homeschoolers file a Private School Affidavit, which makes you legally a private school that can issue its own diploma.
• •Everywhere else, your signature is the final word.

Sources: HSLDA: Homeschool laws by state · HSLDA: New York's diploma-letter problem

Do I need it notarized?

Generally no. Your signature as the parent or administrator, plus a transcript, matter far more than a stamp.

How do I print it so it looks official?

• •Use ivory or cream cardstock, 65 to 100 lb - not plain copy paper.
• •Print landscape at 100% or 'Actual size' (never 'Fit to page').
• •Or hand the PDF to a print shop: 8.5 x 11, landscape, full color, no scaling.
• •Add a gold foil seal sticker to finish it (see below).