Virtual High School Programs : Homeschooling High School
Are you looking for a comprehensive, virtual high school program for homeschooling your child? Using a virtual high school program can be a great in-between way to homeschool through high school!
Pros and Cons of Virtual High School Programs
Many of the virtual high school providers are “public school at home” programs through a charter school agreement. Using any publicly funded program, where you do not pay for the school, isn’t actually homeschooling. Your child will be enrolled in a public school offered as a virtual high school if it is a paid-for, public charter school.
If your child is enrolled in a public school virtual high school program, then you usually do not have to fill out homeschooling paperwork. Be sure you know if your child is considered “enrolled in public school” with any option you choose. It is important for you to know whether you need to file paperwork as a homeschooler or not.
If you enroll your child in a virtual high school which you pay for, then the program is not usually enrollment in a public school. The program may be considered a private school or a homeschool type of program. Be clear about what type of virtual high school program your child is in and how much responsibility you have for the transcripts and other paperwork.
The primary differences between the virtual high school programs are the level of control you over your child’s program, the cost, and who does the paperwork. With a public virtual high school program, you have no meaningful control over your child’s schooling. Your child has to take designated classes, is generally on a deadline-based schedule, and is given due dates for the assignments. It’s free and the virtual high school does all of the paperwork.
If the program is one you pay for and it’s a comprehensive program, you may have very little flexibility with your child’s coursework. If the program is paid for by you, and a course-by-course program, you may have complete control within your home schooling.
The pace of learning will vary from virtual high school to virtual high school. The content being taught in any course you purchase is pre-set. Again, you have no control over the coursework with a public school program and complete control when you are independently home schooling. Your flexibility will vary with the virtual high school programs and/or courses you choose.
About this Listing of Virtual High School Programs
The list that follows is an informational service, not a specific recommendation for *any* virtual high school program. It is a listing of virtual high school programs which serve homeschoolers. Some of the schools listed here are actually virtual public schools offered free to residents in-state.
However, many of the tuition-based virtual high school programs offer their programs to anyone anywhere. Therefore, be sure you check each virtual high school’s specific information about admission limitations and costs.
The following virtual high school options are reputable at the time of listing, but you are solely responsible for researching all aspects of the program you choose.
Over the years, websites have sometimes changed or the domain has been purchased by another entity, so there is no guaranty at the moment you click on any virtual high school link listed below that the site is still a virtual high school.
By using this website and the virtual high school listing in any manner, you agree to accept all liability whatsoever for any outcome you experience. You agree to hold the owners of Learning Abled Kids harmless in every regard. We cannot control other people’s programs, the Internet is a rapidly changing place, and so it is your responsibility to do ample research regarding any program you may choose for your child.
Virtual High School Programs Offered by Universities:
The following virtual high school programs are offered by Universities. They are open to everyone, require payment of tuition, and many provide dual credit. You may also want to check out to see if your targeted college has any scholarships that would be viable for your student should he chose to transition into the college full-time after high school graduation.
- Brigham Young University Independent Study – available by tuition to anyone.
- Oklahoma State University’s K-12 Distance Learning Academy – block scheduling and/or year long classes, Not a FULL program
- Marshall University Online College Classes for High School – available by tuition to anyone.
- Texas Tech University – Independent School District – K-12, Work at your own pace program.
- University of California Scout Online – Many AP courses, Free for state residents, available by tuition to anyone.
- University of Miami Global Academy – Open to anyone, tuition based.
- MU High School (Univ. of Missouri) – Self-paced and traditional semester course options.
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln High School – Work at your own pace.
- University of Texas Online High School – Open to anyone, tuition based.
Virtual High School Programs that openly serve homeschooled students:
- Alpha Omega Academy – Independent, Christian Virtual School; Open to everyone; tuition; flexible enrollment; *Students work at their own pace.
- Connections Academy – K–12, free in any states where they have a charter school presence, not at your own pace in most cases, open to all on tuition basis.
- K12 Online Schools – Private Program; Open to all; Some students pay tuition based upon state-sponsored program availability, based on Core Knowledge sequence; Courses have specific start and end dates and are teacher-directed.
- International Connections Academy – Open to everyone, tuition, follows a traditional school calendar.
- Keystone National High School’s iSchool – Open to everyone; tuition; flexible enrollment; *Students work at their own pace.
- Lincoln Interactive – Open to everyone; tuition; flexible enrollment; K-12, *Students work at their own pace.
- Virtual High School – Based in Ontario, Canada; tuition
- CALCampus High School – Offers a full degree program
- CompuHigh – Open to everyone; tuition; offers both diploma programs and individual courses for extra credit or a full online diploma curriculum; nationally accredited, private school called Whitmore School. *Students work at their own pace.
- E-School – Hawaii; only registered Hawaii secondary education students during normal school year; no tuition; In the summer sessions are open to the public secondary school students, homeschool, and private school students and tuition is charged.
- Florida Virtual School (FLVS) – Free to Florida residents; non-residents pay tuition.
- Griggs University Home Study International – Seventh-day Adventist
- Mesa Distance Learning Program – K-12, High School Diploma; Free to Arizona residents; Non-residents can enroll and pay tuition.
- North Dakota Division of Independent Study (NDIS) – Welcomes homeschoolers; open to anyone; supports students with disabilities.
- Penn Foster High School (Thomson Education Direct) – Independent, at-home High School Program gives students the flexibility to enroll in a complete High School Diploma program or in individual courses; in business for 75 years.
- Brainstorm USA – Not a complete Degree program, but offers core curriculum options.
Virtual School Programs that only serve Elementary and Middle school students:
- Arkansas Virtual School – Currently K-8; Enrollment via random anonymous lottery.
- Calvert Virtual Academy (CVA) – 6-8 Middle only, Tuition
Virtual High School Programs Offered through Public Charter Schools
- Arizona Virtual Academy (AZVA) – Charter School; enrollment restrictions; publicly funded; no tuition.
- Branson School Online – K-12, free for Colorado residents.
- California Virtual Academies – Network of Virtual Charter Schools; No cost for local residents.
- Colorado Virtual Academy (COVA) – Public Charter School; No tuition in state.
- Florida Virtual Academy – K-12, Public Charter School; No tuition in state.
- Florida Virtual School – Public, private, and homeschooled students (K-12) can enroll whether you live in Florida or not, but there is a tuition if you live outside of Florida.
- GOAL Academy – 9-12, Colorado Charter, free for state residents.
- Gorman’s Independent Study Program – Charter school; California; free for residents, Work-at-your-own-pace, not online – independent study.
- Houston Independent School District Virtual Learning Options – Texas; Grades 7-12.
- HOPE Online Learning Academy – 9-12, Colorado Charter, free for state residents.
- Idaho Virtual Academy (IDVA) – Public Charter School; K-12, free for state residents.
- Insight School of Colorado – 9-12, Colorado Charter, free for state residents.
- Karval Online Education – 9-12, Colorado Charter, free for state residents.
- Odyssey Charter School – Nevada; no tuition for students residing in Clark County.
- Ohio Virtual Academy – K-12, Charter, free for state residents.
- Online Academy – 6-12, Colorado Charter, free for state residents.
- Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School – K-12, at no cost to Pennsylvania residents.
- Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School – K-12, at no cost to Pennsylvania residents.
- PPEP TEC High School – Charter School; publicly funded; no tuition.
- Provost Academy – Online Charter provider, check main link for newly added states; Free to residents in the following states: – Provost Academy Georgia (Statewide) – 9-12, at no cost to Georgia residents. – Provost Academy Ohio – 6-12, at no cost to Ohio residents. – Provost Academy South Carolina – 9-12, at no cost to South Carolina residents.
- SusQ-Cyber Charter School – Pennsylvania; No charge for residents.
- 21st Century Cyber Charter School – Pennsylvania; No charge for residents.
- Wisconson Virtual Academy – K-12; Charter School, free to state residents.
Other Virtual High School Programs:
- Virtual High School Collaborative – made up of big and small schools; rural, inner city, and suburban schools; public, charter, independent, and faith-based schools; home-based schools, and international schools, anywhere; Open to everyone; tuition; VHS does not grant GED or high school diplomas
- Connections Academy – Virtual School Provider; Check your state’s availability and limitations
- Personal Alternative Choices in Education (PACE) Craig City School District in Alaska; cost involved.
- Peoria Unified School District Virtual High School eCampus – Arizona; free for district residents; tuition for non-residents.
- Primavera Online High School – Free to Arizona Residents
- Clovis Online School – an online-based junior and senior high school in Central California
- Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY) – mathematics, physics and expository writing for elementary, middle and high school students of high ability.
- Colorado Online Learning (COL) – Tuition for all students
- Nevada Virtual High School – Open to students “everywhere”
- Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) – Ohio; No tuition for residents
- Salem-Keizer Online – Open to everyone; tuition charged.
- Oregon Connections Academy – (Charter School)
- Oregon Virtual Academy (Charter School) –
- Texas Virtual School
- Utah Electronic High School (EHS) – Free to students in Utah; Out-of-state residents pay tuition; Self-paced coursework;
- Wisconsin Virtual Learning (WVL) – 4K-12th grade, independent path for “faster pace” students.
- Internet Academy (IA) – Washington State Online Public School
The following schools require registration through the local public school and are not recommended at this time:
- Iowa Learning Online – Enrollment through local public high school.
- Maryland Virtual Learning Opportunities (MVLO) – NO diploma; enrollment only with the permission of local school principal.
- Michigan Virtual High School (MVHS) – does not independently grant diplomas; works in cooperation with individual school districts.
- Monte Vista’s Online Academy – Prior Colorado Public School enrollment required (6/2005).
- Virtual Greenbush – Oversight through local Kansas schools; proctored testing (6/2005).
- West Virginia Virtual School – Requires approval by local school district (6/2005).