Financial Aid

Q.Have federal financial-aid laws changed for college-bound homeschoolers? Do homeschoolers now have to get a GED to receive financial aid?

A. The federal government made significant changes to financial-aid laws in December 2011, and these changes went into effect July 1, 2012. However, Congress made NO CHANGES to the homeschool eligibility section. The law states, “In order for a student … to be eligible for any [federal financial] assistance … the student shall have completed a secondary school education in a home school setting that is treated as a home school or private school under State law.” (20 U.S.C. 1091(d), as amended by Public Law 112-74).

Regrettably, some colleges and even some FAFSA staff have passed on inaccurate information to homeschoolers, assuming these changes also applied to us. HSLDA is working to correct the problem. You can find more information about homeschool eligibility here.