Homeschool Graduation Requirements in New York

The short version

New York is the most regulated of the big states, and one of the few that ties homeschool graduation to specific coursework. Each year you file a notice, submit an IHIP, send four quarterly reports, and complete an annual assessment. The state does not issue a diploma to homeschoolers, so once your student completes the required high school subjects, you issue the diploma and transcript yourself.

The requirements are detailed and the deadlines are specific, but thousands of New York families homeschool successfully by building a system to stay on top of them.

How homeschooling works in New York

New York's rules are set by Commissioner's Regulations Section 100.10, and they create an ongoing relationship with your local school district. Each year you:

• Send a letter of intent to your local school district, generally by July 1, or within 14 days of starting midyear
• Submit an Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) by August 15, or within four weeks of receiving the form. The IHIP lists the child's grade, the subjects and materials, the quarterly report dates, and who is teaching
• File four quarterly reports, each showing the hours of instruction, the material covered, and a grade or narrative in each subject
• Complete an annual assessment: a standardized test in designated years, or a written narrative evaluation in other years, depending on grade

You also meet the instructional hour requirement of 900 hours per year in grades 1 to 6 and 990 hours per year in grades 7 to 12, across about 180 days.

Required high school subjects

For grades 9 to 12, the regulations list required subjects that the IHIP must document, including English (4 units), social studies (4 units, including U.S. history, government, and economics), mathematics (3 units), science (3 units), plus art and music, health, physical education, and a foreign language. One unit of credit is a minimum of 108 hours of instruction. These build toward the state's minimum for a homeschool high school program.

Graduation requirements

New York does not grant a Regents or state diploma to homeschool students. To graduate, your student completes the required grades 9 to 12 coursework documented in the IHIP, and you issue a parent diploma and transcript. Some families instead have the student earn a New York High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma as an alternative, which colleges and employers also accept.

Getting into college from a New York homeschool

SUNY, CUNY, and private New York colleges admit homeschool students. The standard inputs are a parent-issued transcript, SAT or ACT scores, an application essay, and letters of recommendation, and some colleges also accept the HSE diploma. Many families pursue early college through SUNY dual enrollment or community college coursework, which can simplify admission.

Keeping records and the transcript

Your quarterly reports and IHIP are for state compliance, but colleges want a clean four-year transcript. HStranscripts.com lays out the transcript, adds up credits, and calculates the GPA automatically. You can create your homeschool transcript here, and see how to make a homeschool transcript for the full process.

Before you rely on this

This is general information, not legal advice, and homeschool rules can change. Confirm the current requirements with the New York State Education Department, Commissioner's Regulations Section 100.10, and HSLDA's New York page before you rely on them.

In New York, graduation is tied to completing the required high school subjects in your IHIP. Stay on top of the yearly paperwork, cover the required coursework, and issue the diploma and transcript yourself.