How to Homeschool High School in Alaska (2026): Total Freedom, the Allotment Choice, and College

Verified July 2026 against Alaska home education law, which requires nothing of independent homeschoolers, Alaska correspondence program and allotment rules, and Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education Performance Scholarship eligibility. The allotment program remains under active litigation, so confirm current allotment rules with your district and scholarship terms at acpe.alaska.gov before relying on this.

Alaska High School at a Glance

Legal basis (independent)	No notice, testing, parent qualification, or records required
Correspondence allotment	Enroll in a public correspondence program for an allotment, under its rules
State graduation requirements	None for independent homeschoolers; you set your own
Who issues the diploma	You do; the state does not
Alaska Performance Scholarship	Homeschool graduates qualify on a grade average, with a test score for higher tiers
College admission	Parent transcript plus a test score; correspondence records if you enroll

How Homeschool High School Works in Alaska

Alaska is the freest state in the country for independent homeschoolers. There is no notice to file, no required testing, no parent qualification, and no bookkeeping the state reviews. Alaska sets no graduation requirements, so through high school you decide what your diploma requires, you keep the transcript, and you issue the diploma. A parent-issued Alaska homeschool diploma is valid for college, work, and the military, with no GED required. Because nothing external will prompt you, the responsibility to build a strong transcript and plan a college entrance test sits entirely with you, which is the theme of the sections below. We cover the basics in the Alaska homeschooling guide.

Set Graduation Requirements and Build the Transcript

Because Alaska sets no requirements for homeschoolers, you set your own, often modeled on a standard college-prep pattern: four years of English, three or four of math, three of science and social studies, plus electives, the arts, and physical education. Write the plan at the start of ninth grade and build the transcript as you go, listing each course, its credits, and the grade, with a cumulative grade average. Keep it clean and signed. Since Alaska requires no outside testing, your transcript and a voluntary ACT or SAT score carry the weight for admissions and scholarships, and the grade average on that transcript is what the Alaska Performance Scholarship reads, so keep it honest and current. Check the free reading assessment here so you can see where your student stands before you map the four-year plan.

The Allotment Choice and the Performance Scholarship

Two things shape the money side of high school in Alaska. The first is the allotment. Alaska families can enroll in a public correspondence program run by a district, and in exchange for following its rules, testing from grades three through ten and keeping roughly half the program focused on core subjects, they receive an allotment of state funds to spend on approved curriculum, courses, and activities. Independent homeschoolers who stay outside the correspondence program do not get the allotment, so this is the real tradeoff: full freedom, or funding with oversight. The allotment program has been through the courts, and while it remains available, it is under ongoing legal challenge, so confirm the current rules and approved uses with your district before you rely on it. The second is the Alaska Performance Scholarship, which is open to homeschool graduates. Your student qualifies on a grade average of 2.5 or higher, and a college or career readiness test score, such as a 21 on the ACT or a 1060 on the SAT, opens the higher award tiers. Plan the test early so a strong score can lift the award. We link the details in our Alaska homeschooling guide.

Dual Credit, the Diploma, and College Admission

Alaska homeschoolers can take dual credit courses through the University of Alaska system to earn college and high school credit at once, and families in a correspondence program can often direct allotment funds toward those courses. That credit transfers and strengthens an application. For admission, University of Alaska campuses at Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Southeast admit homeschool graduates on a parent transcript, and a voluntary ACT or SAT score gives admissions an outside measure, one that also lifts the Performance Scholarship, so a single test does double duty. When your student meets the requirements you set, you issue the diploma, dated and signed, and it stands for college, employment, and the military. Our step-by-step guide is a useful resource for planning the high school years.

Students With Learning Differences

If your student had an Individualized Education Program in public school, those services end when you begin independent homeschooling, though a correspondence program may offer some support, so ask if that route matters to you. You can build accommodations into your own program, and college disability services open once your student enrolls, including through dual credit. Plan documentation early, since colleges and testing accommodations can ask for recent records.

A Note from Homeschool Teacher Guide: What This Really Means for You

Alaska hands independent homeschool families complete freedom, and with it the full weight of planning, since no state checkpoint will ever nudge you. So build the transcript deliberately and schedule a college entrance test on your own calendar, because both carry your student into admission and into the Performance Scholarship. Then weigh the allotment honestly: the correspondence program trades some freedom for real funding, and while it remains available, the courts are still sorting out its edges, so confirm the current rules before you count on the money. Whichever path fits your family, a clean transcript and one strong test open the doors that matter. Our Alaska homeschooling guide covers the basics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an Alaska Homeschool Diploma Valid?

Yes. Alaska sets no graduation requirements for independent homeschoolers, so you set your own and issue the diploma. It is valid for college, work, and the military, and no GED is required.

What Is the Alaska Allotment?

It is state funding paid to families enrolled in a public correspondence program, spendable on approved curriculum, courses, and activities. Independent homeschoolers outside the program do not receive it, and the program is under ongoing legal challenge.

Does Alaska Require Anything to Homeschool Independently?

No. Independent homeschooling requires no notice, no testing, no parent qualification, and no records the state reviews.

Can Alaska Homeschoolers Get the Performance Scholarship?

Yes. Homeschool graduates qualify on a grade average of 2.5 or higher, and a test score such as a 21 on the ACT or a 1060 on the SAT opens the higher award tiers.

Do Alaska Colleges Accept a Homeschool Diploma?

Yes. University of Alaska campuses admit homeschool graduates on a parent transcript, and a voluntary test score strengthens the application and the scholarship.

Sources

• Alaska Department of Education and Early Development: Homeschool
• Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education: Alaska Performance Scholarship
• HSLDA: How to Comply with Alaska's Homeschool Law