How to Get Accredited

by The Varsity Tutors School@Home Team

Accreditation is the review process that an educational program undergoes to determine whether it meets certain standards. Accrediting bodies, which can be private or non-profit (but are generally the former), tend to examine factors such as curricular content, content delivery, and instructor credentials, if applicable, before conferring an accreditation certificate.

Some well-known homeschool accreditation bodies include the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA), the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA). But there are dozens more, some of which are also reputable and some of which are less renowned.

If you plan to homeschool your child entirely on your own--that is, without any assistance from other sources--accreditation research may not even be an item on your to-do list. However, for parents who are considering enrolling their homeschoolers in distance learning or in-person programs, whether part- or full-time, accreditation may be something worth looking into.

Before delving into the topic further, it’s first necessary to point out that using an accredited homeschool program is not required anywhere in the United States. There are, of course, homeschooling laws that are unique to each state, but accreditation is a separate and private issue.

Despite its optional nature, there are a handful of reasons that parents might seek out an accredited homeschool program anyway. Most importantly, accreditation ensures a certain level of quality instruction, so it can act as a filtering mechanism that helps you weed out other, potentially inferior programs, or even scams.

If you’re new to homeschooling and have no prior teaching experience, it may be wise to choose an accredited program you know will cover the most important material--at least at the beginning while you get comfortable with the switch. Rebecca Devitt of How do I Homeschool? explains it this way: “It seems the biggest advantage of homeschooling accreditation is its ability to offer parents peace of mind.” By selecting an accredited program, you don’t have to worry about the curriculum you design yourself having holes or other defects in it.

Accreditation also makes the credit transfer process easier in cases where students end up returning to public school. Even if your family plans to stick to homeschooling indefinitely, unforeseen situations like student dissatisfaction, parental illness or work schedule changes can prompt a return to public school. Thus, it may be better to keep that door open by ensuring a smoother transition with an accredited program.

Finally, students who complete an accredited homeschool program may have better chances of employment, as well as acceptance into college and the armed forces. According to the staff of Ivy Scholars, “Attending a well-known and accredited online or remote school, paired with enrollment in the highest level of coursework offered by said school (e.g. AP or IB classes) can propel a student’s application to the top of the pile.” No matter how you slice it, it will always make a better impression on application reviewers when they see a homeschooling program that has official credentials. On the other hand, it is essential to recognize that thousands of homeschoolers are accepted into top colleges every year without having studied accredited curriculums. There are many other factors that admissions counselors consider aside from accreditation.

While homeschool accreditation is not a requisite for admissions applications to _most _American colleges, there are always some exceptions. If your child is leaning toward a particular college, inquire directly with the institution about such policies, especially if it’s known for being competitive or stringent. Also be aware that higher education admissions policies are constantly changing. For instance, an unprecedented number of colleges have gone test-optional in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the easing up on ACT and SAT score requirements _may _be followed by stricter changes in other areas.

If you do opt for an accredited homeschool program, there are a few points to consider during your search. First of all, such programs _can _be more expensive because of the greater prestige and demand frequently associated with them. In addition, some accreditation bodies can be called upon just to accredit student transcripts. According to the Homeschool Mom, though, this can be a costly and unnecessary process. “On average it would cost a homeschooler $2000-$5000 simply for a piece of paper that says “accredited,” she advises, noting that “ Homeschool parents can proudly name their transcript “Official” just as unaccredited public schools use the word.”

The second point to bear in mind is that not all accredited programs are created equally. The rules and standards of accrediting bodies vary significantly, since they’re mostly private organizations that go unregulated. As a result, having the accreditation of one may carry more weight than having the seal of approval of another. Be aware, too, that accreditation is not a one-time event; rather, programs must be reviewed regularly--annually, for instance--to maintain their accreditation status. So, if you investigate a program’s accreditation status, one thing to look out for is whether it’s fairly current.

The third point to be aware of, and perhaps the most important one, is that the use of the word “accredited” alone, on a program’s website or elsewhere, does not guarantee its official accreditation. “Any school can claim that it is accredited; the use of that word is not regulated in any way,” claim the staff of A2Z Homeschooling. You must therefore dig deeper to find out whether the program of interest has been _officially _accredited, by which organization, and how long ago.

To begin your accreditation research, try out the search tool from the Distance Education Accreditation Administration, a non-profit organization. Investigating through a neutral third-party will often turn up more useful and unbiased information than using accreditors’ search tools, which may be designed with self-interest in mind.

Varsity Tutors School @ Home offers something for every homeschooler, whether it's customizable complementary instruction in both academic and elective subjects or a digital app that makes daily homeschooling logistics easier for parents. Learn more here: https://www.varsitytutors.com/school-at-home._