How to Homeschool High School in North Dakota (2026): Diplomas, the North Dakota Scholarship, and College

Verified July 2026 against North Dakota home education law under Century Code 15.1-23 and Department of Public Instruction guidance, and North Dakota Scholarship and Dual-Credit Tuition Scholarship rules from the University System. Confirm current coursework and scholarship deadlines at nd.gov/dpi before relying on this for aid decisions.

North Dakota High School at a Glance

Legal basis	File a Statement of Intent each year, at least 14 days before starting
Parent qualification	High school diploma or GED to homeschool independently; otherwise two years of monitoring
Testing	Nationally standardized testing at grades 4, 6, 8, and 10
State graduation requirements	None set for homeschoolers; you set your own
Who issues the diploma	You do; the state does not
Scholarships	North Dakota Scholarship up to $6,000, plus a Dual-Credit Tuition Scholarship up to $750

How Homeschool High School Works in North Dakota

North Dakota runs a more structured homeschool law than many states. You file a Statement of Intent with your resident district superintendent each year, at least fourteen days before you begin, and the teaching parent needs a high school diploma or its equivalent to homeschool independently. A parent without one can still homeschool, but a North Dakota-certified teacher monitors instruction for the first two years at the district's expense. Students take a nationally standardized test in grades four, six, eight, and ten, and if a composite score falls below the fiftieth percentile, monitoring continues until it improves. Tenth grade is the last required test. North Dakota sets no graduation requirements, so you decide what your diploma requires, you keep the transcript, and you issue the diploma, which is valid for college, work, and the military. We cover the filing in the North Dakota homeschooling guide.

Set Graduation Requirements and Build the Transcript

Because North Dakota sets no requirements for homeschoolers, you set your own, and it is worth aiming at the North Dakota Scholarship's course pattern from the start: four years of English, three or four of math and science, three of social studies, plus a world language or career and technical sequence and other named subjects. 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, because your final homeschool transcript is the document the North Dakota Scholarship reads, and colleges read it for admission. Fold the tenth grade test into your normal year so it stays routine. The free assessment shows you where your student stands before you map the four-year plan.

The North Dakota Scholarship and Dual Credit

Here is where the extra structure pays off. The North Dakota Scholarship, which replaced the older Academic and Career and Technical Education scholarships, is open to homeschool graduates, who apply with their final homeschool transcript. It pays up to $6,000 across six years after graduation, renews with full-time enrollment and a 2.75 cumulative grade average, and rewards a rigorous course plan, which is why aiming your transcript at its subjects from ninth grade matters. Alongside it, North Dakota students who take a dual credit course from a North Dakota University System institution during high school can earn a Dual-Credit Tuition Scholarship worth up to $750, and homeschool transcripts are accepted for it. So a homeschooler can take college courses in high school, offset the cost with the dual credit scholarship, and then draw the North Dakota Scholarship after graduating. Plan the coursework and the dual credit together, and watch the application deadline, which falls in early June. We link the details in our North Dakota homeschooling guide.

The Diploma and College Admission

North Dakota colleges admit homeschool graduates on a parent transcript, and North Dakota State, the University of North Dakota, and the state's other campuses take homeschool applicants. A well-built transcript is the foundation, and the grade ten test plus any ACT or SAT score and dual credit give admissions outside measures, so plan a college entrance test even beyond the required testing. Keep your dual credit college transcripts with your records, since that credit transfers within the state system and strengthens an application. When your student meets the requirements you set, you issue the diploma, dated and signed, and it stands for college, employment, and the military. The guide is a 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 file your Statement of Intent, and that includes high school. 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

North Dakota asks more of you than most states, a yearly filing, testing through tenth grade, and a parent credential, and we would rather you see that clearly than be surprised by it. The upside is that the state turns that structure into money: the North Dakota Scholarship and the dual credit tuition scholarship both open to homeschool graduates on the strength of the transcript you keep. So build that transcript toward the scholarship's subjects from ninth grade, keep the tenth grade test routine, and use dual credit while the tuition scholarship helps cover it. Do that and the extra paperwork turns into up to $6,000 and a head start on a degree. Our North Dakota homeschooling guide covers the filing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a North Dakota Homeschool Diploma Valid?

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

Can North Dakota Homeschoolers Get the North Dakota Scholarship?

Yes. Homeschool graduates apply with their final homeschool transcript, and the award pays up to $6,000 across six years, renewing with full-time enrollment and a 2.75 grade average.

What Does North Dakota Require to Homeschool High School?

A yearly Statement of Intent filed at least fourteen days before starting, a parent with a high school diploma or GED (or two years of monitoring), and testing in grades 4, 6, 8, and 10.

Can North Dakota Homeschoolers Get Help Paying for Dual Credit?

Yes. Students who take a dual credit course from a North Dakota University System institution can earn a Dual-Credit Tuition Scholarship up to $750, and homeschool transcripts are accepted.

Do North Dakota Colleges Accept a Homeschool Diploma?

Yes. North Dakota State, the University of North Dakota, and other campuses admit homeschool graduates on a parent transcript, and a test score strengthens the application.

Sources

• North Dakota Department of Public Instruction: North Dakota Scholarship
• North Dakota University System: Dual-Credit Tuition Scholarship
• HSLDA: How to Comply with North Dakota's Homeschool Law