A real, home-made diploma for your student

Can a parent really issue a diploma?

A parent who oversees a homeschool program can document completion with a signed diploma. Check the requirements for your state's homeschool option and for the school, employer, or agency receiving it.

• •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.
• •A diploma records completion of a course of study. It does not guarantee admission, employment, or eligibility for a license.

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

Isn't this just a workaround?

It records your student's completed course of study. HSLDA recommends that homeschool parents issue a diploma; whether additional credentials are needed depends on the student's plans and the recipient's requirements.

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?

Ask which documents the employer needs. Keep the signed diploma and transcript together, and check for any additional requirements from the employer or licensing board.

• •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 does not recognize parent-issued homeschool diplomas for state financial aid. A superintendent’s substantial-equivalency letter is one route for documenting completion; check the applicable requirements.
• •California: most homeschoolers file a Private School Affidavit, which makes you legally a private school that can issue its own diploma.
• •Follow your state's requirements and check the recipient's documentation rules before sending the diploma.

Sources: HSLDA: Homeschool laws by state · New York HESC: High school completion requirements

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).