NCAA Eligibility Overview for the Homeschooled Student Athlete

The NCAA defines a homeschooled student athlete as one whose education is primarily directed and controlled by a parent, guardian, or tutor, rather than by a formal school setting. This includes situations where the parent, guardian, or tutor creates the curriculum, provides instruction, evaluates coursework, and awards grades or credits. Students who are educated through an official online school with teachers providing instruction are not considered homeschooled, as their education is not parent or tutor directed. Essentially, the NCAA considers a student homeschooled if their educational experience is largely managed by the family or an external tutoring system, rather than a traditional school or accredited online program.

While the academic standards for NCAA eligibility (16 core courses, GPA minimums, and amateurism certification) are the same for both homeschooled and regular students, homeschooled students must submit additional documentation to verify their education. Homeschool documentation for NCAA eligibility can be submitted through email or U.S. mail/overnight mail. If emailing, the documents must be sent from the email address listed on the Administrator and Accordance Statement. For further details on submitting student records, specific instructions can be found under the "submitting student records" section. This ensures that all required and official documentation is properly submitted to the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Per the NCAA Eligibility Center, the following documentation is required for courses to be considered in an academic certification:

» Homeschool Transcript Example.

» Administrator and Accordance Statement information.

» Core-Course Worksheet for each core course completed.

If the student athlete is dual-enrolled or has completed dual-enrollment coursework, those courses must indicate that they are college level on the homeschool transcript with the institution’s information present as well. Additionally, the transcript from that institution must also accompany the homeschool transcript upon submission of all materials. The core-course worksheet is not necessary for dual-enrollment courses but must be completed for all other homeschooled courses.

If a student athlete is enrolled in a homeschool umbrella program, they are still required to complete all necessary tasks related to the NCAA eligibility process. While the homeschool umbrella program may submit transcripts, the student must personally ensure that all required steps, such as completing forms and providing necessary documentation, are completed on time.

A homeschool umbrella program is a state-recognized program that offers support for homeschooling families. There are three types of umbrella programs: one that provides transcript services, a state high school diploma, record-keeping, and review of course materials; another that offers transcript services, a state diploma, record-keeping, and curriculum but no review of course materials; and a third that only offers a transcript and diploma. The responsibility for signing documents such as transcripts depends on the type of umbrella program. In co-op programs, the parent/guardian signs, while in other programs, the umbrella administrator typically signs the transcript.

When using a homeschool umbrella program, the parent/guardian is always responsible for completing and submitting the homeschool administrator statement and signing the core-course worksheets. The umbrella program administrator is not responsible for this task. All homeschool documentation, including transcripts, should be emailed to the NCAA Eligibility Center at ec-processing@ncaa.org, with documents being accepted only from the email listed on the Administrator and Accordance Statement. For more details on submitting transcripts, additional guidance can be found in the NCAA’s submission instructions.

Multiple documents can be submitted together, whether by email or mail. The NCAA’s processing team will separate the transcript from other documents and ensure that everything is correctly entered into the student’s account. Once processed, the required tasks will be marked as complete. This helps streamline the submission process for students submitting multiple documents at once. Just like their peers attending high school programs, homeschooled student athletes are eligible for an NCAA fee waiver if they meet the necessary criteria. If a student qualifies for the waiver they are encouraged to complete the waiver process.

While there is no official list of approved homeschool programs, the Eligibility Center does not preapprove them. The use of homeschool courses depends on the details provided in the submitted homeschool documentation. Students can submit electronically signed documents, either by the homeschool administrator, parent, or guardian, ensuring flexibility in the documentation process.

Additionally, if a student is schooling from home through a program that is officially recognized by a ministry of education (an international governing body that oversees education in that particular country) and has standard transcripts or certificates, they would not be considered homeschooled for NCAA eligibility purposes. Also, relocations for military families do not prevent homeschooled students from meeting NCAA eligibility, as long as proper planning and documentation is in place. Awareness, organization, and communication are key for student athletes and families navigating the NCAA eligibility process while homeschooling.

Keep in mind, a student is considered homeschooled if a parent, guardian, or tutor designs the curriculum, provides instruction, evaluates coursework, and assigns grades or credit. However, “schooling at home” does not always mean a student is homeschooled. With the increase of online and virtual education, students may take courses from an online school with teachers who provide instruction, which is not the same as homeschooling.

To determine if a student qualifies as homeschooled for NCAA purposes, review key eligibility questions as provided by the NCAA Eligibility Center via their “Eligibility Center Homeschool Parameters” form pictured below. If any responses indicate that a parent, guardian, tutor, or homeschool umbrella program oversees the education, the student is likely considered homeschooled.

Are you considering homeschooling or have questions about the NCAA eligibility process for your homeschooled student athlete? We’d love to hear from you. Your first 30-minute consultation is free!