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The State of Arkansas does not issue diplomas to homeschooled students. There are several ways to get a high school diploma for your home schooled high schooler. It all depends on whether or not a diploma from an accredited school or agency is desired.

The Education Alliance is a fabulous resource for homeschooled high school students. They offer recording of transcripts and high school seniors enjoy an amazing graduation ceremony through them. A diploma is issued; however, it is not a state accredited diploma. Transcripts are kept for individuals; the information sent to the Education Alliance is not verified in any way. Request their graduation information packet for details.

For families seeking a diploma from an accredited school or other agency there are options but most are expensive. The first option is to enroll in the Lincoln ACE School provided by K12.
This is open to all residents of Arkansas, however you must transfer to the Lincoln school district. Another downfall to this is that all testing like end of course and standardized tests for 9th graders has to be done in Lincoln Arkansas. Individuals residing in Little Rock or those in the Delta or Crowley’s Ridge region of the state will find this to be a rather long commute. It is a good option for those living in Northwest Arkansas. The other downfall is that Lincoln ACE by K12 is a public school at home option.

Although graduates receive a state accredited diploma, the “state” is still a lot more a part of the equation than many homeschoolers would like. Another good reason to try Lincoln ACE is that it is free.

Other options for obtaining an accredited are more expensive. Umbrella schools such as Clonlara will issue an accredited diploma but the cost may be prohibitive to many homeschool families. Accredited online and distance learning schools offer accredited programs. Most want to see at least 25 credit hours or five or more courses taken before they will issue a diploma. This is costly as tuition for a single year can run in excess of $1,500.00.

Is an accredited diploma necessary? No. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR)
does not require one from Arkansas homeschooled students. Northwest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) accepts diplomas from homeschoolers that are not accredited. Accredited or not depends on the plans of the homeschooled high schooler.