Homeschooling in Nebraska

Homeschooling in Nebraska: You're Not a Homeschool — You're an Exempt School

Nebraska homeschools file as Rule 13 exempt schools: annual forms by July 15, required hours and subjects, no state diploma. Plus the 2023 sports-access law and what UNL expects.

Last reviewed August 15, 2026

Nebraska doesn't technically have a homeschool law. It has an exempt-school law: to homeschool, you establish a private school in your home and elect exemption from state approval and accreditation requirements under Neb. Rev. Stat. 79-1601 and Department of Education Rule 13. You then enroll your own children in it. The distinction sounds academic until you're the one filling out the paperwork — because Nebraska treats you like a small school, with a school's filing calendar.

That means an annual filing due July 15, assurance statements, a birth certificate on file, required subjects, and hour minimums that are among the more specific in the country. None of it is hard, but all of it is recurring, and the July 15 deadline lands in the middle of summer when school is the last thing on anyone's mind. Meanwhile, the state gives nothing back: no diploma, no transcript, no certification of anything. The record that gets your kid into UNL is entirely the one you build.

The Rules in Plain English

Under Rule 13 and the NDE Exempt School Program:

Requirement	What it means
Annual election	File the Statement of Election and Assurances (Form A) — online or by mail — by July 15 each year the school operates, or promptly when starting mid-year
Parent representative	File the Authorized Parent Representative form (Form B) if applicable
Birth certificate	Certified copy (raised/stamped seal) for each child in the first year only
Subjects	Language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and health
Hours	1,032 hours/year elementary; 1,080 hours/year high school
Testing	None required
Teacher qualifications	None — no degree or certificate needed

Sources: NDE FAQs, HSLDA, NCHEA. Filing can be done at the NDE's online exempt-school portal.

The July 15 Ritual (and the First-Year Paper Chase)

Nebraska's filing isn't a one-time notice like Nevada's or a simple postcard like some states — it's an annual re-election of exempt status, and first-timers have extra steps:

First year: Form A, possibly Form B, and a certified birth certificate with a raised or stamped seal for each child. Hospital certificates and photocopies get rejected; order from vital records early.
Every year after: re-file by July 15 for the coming school year. Miss it and you're out of compliance before your first day of school — and an out-of-compliance exempt school is the kind of technicality that surfaces at the worst times, like a sports-eligibility conversation or a truancy inquiry after a district withdrawal.
Mid-year starts: file promptly when you begin; don't wait for the next July.

The other quiet burden is the hours requirement. 1,032 and 1,080 hours are real numbers the assurances reference, and almost nobody tracks them until asked. A lightweight running log — dates, hours, subjects touched — satisfies the spirit of the assurances and takes minutes a week. LearnHaven's attendance sheet tool is built for exactly this, and the compliance dashboard fires a reminder well ahead of July 15 so the deadline never sneaks up. More in our record-keeping guide.

No State Diploma, No State Transcript — You Are the Registrar

The NDE is explicit: it does not issue or certify diplomas for exempt-school graduates, and it recommends families "keep a transcript of classes taken with grades received." Your exempt school is a private school; it graduates its own students.

That's genuinely fine — colleges accept parent-issued credentials every day — but it means the deliverables are on you:

A transcript with courses, credits, grades, and GPA for grades 9-12.
A diploma issued by your exempt school, signed by the administrator (you).
Course descriptions and materials lists, which selective programs and scholarship committees ask for more often than people expect.

Issue the credential properly with LearnHaven's diploma generator and build the transcript as courses finish with the transcript generator. Our diploma and graduation guide covers what "official" really means for a homeschool credential.

College Admissions: UNL Has an Actual Homeschool Page — Read It Early

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln publishes homeschool-specific requirements, and two items regularly trip up families who discover them senior year:

16 core units, including 4 units of English, 4 units of math (Algebra I, II, geometry, plus one advanced course), 3 natural sciences with at least one lab, 3 social sciences, and 2 units of the same world language — with homeschoolers asked to describe how the verbal component of the language was learned.
Documentation on request: curriculum synopses, textbook information, transcripts with grades, an explanation of how lab science was handled, and confirmation that your exempt-school filing is on record with the state — one more reason those July 15 filings matter years later.

ACT/SAT scores aren't required for admission but are encouraged for full scholarship consideration. Students who miss a guaranteed-admission benchmark go to committee review, where thorough documentation does the persuading.

Plan the world language and advanced math early — they're the two units homeschoolers most often lack. LearnHaven's GPA calculator keeps your numbers consistent across documents, and the college admissions guide plus transcripts and GPA guide map the full application file.

Sports and Activities: New Door, Specific Key (LB705)

For two decades Nebraska homeschoolers were shut out of school activities. That changed with LB705, effective September 2, 2023, now Neb. Rev. Stat. 79-2,136, per NCHEA — the group that spent roughly twenty years lobbying for it:

Exempt-school students may enroll part-time in their local public school; the statute's participation benchmark is enrollment in five credit hours offered by the district in a semester.
Schools cannot restrict part-time homeschool students to electives only — core academic classes are fair game.
Schools are prohibited from preferring full-time students over part-time homeschool students when selecting participants for extracurriculars.
Parents set their own academic performance standards and provide assurances that the student meets them.
For grades 9-12 sports, NSAA eligibility bylaws still apply, so talk to the school's activities director about age, semester, and transfer rules before the season.

Because eligibility rests on your assurances about academic performance, a maintained gradebook is your backing evidence. LearnHaven's report card generator produces a term summary you can hand an activities director, and the sports access guide covers how to open the conversation with a district that hasn't processed a homeschool athlete before.

One More Thing: NCHEA Is Worth Knowing

Nebraska's homeschool community punches above its weight legislatively — the Nebraska Christian Home Educators Association spent roughly twenty years working the Unicameral before LB705 passed, and it remains the best first stop for current filing guidance, sample forms, and updates whenever Rule 13 is revised (the current version took effect June 28, 2026). If a district or activities office gives you information that contradicts the NDE's own FAQs, NCHEA has usually already published the correction. For plugging into local groups and co-ops beyond compliance questions, start with our socialization guide.

Bottom Line

In Nebraska you run a Rule 13 exempt school — file Form A (and B if needed) with NDE by July 15 every year, plus a sealed birth certificate the first year.
Teach language arts, math, science, social studies, and health for 1,032 hours (elementary) or 1,080 hours (high school); no testing required.
The state issues no diploma or transcript — you are the registrar, so keep grades and course records from 9th grade on.
Since 2023, part-time enrollment (five credit hours a semester) unlocks extracurriculars and NSAA sports, and schools can't prefer full-timers in selection.
UNL's homeschool checklist — 4 math units, 2 world language units, curriculum documentation — is easiest to satisfy if you read it in 8th grade, not 12th.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I legally homeschool in Nebraska?

You operate an 'exempt school' under Neb. Rev. Stat. 79-1601 and NDE Rule 13 — legally, a private school in your home that has elected exemption from state approval and accreditation. You file a Statement of Election and Assurances (and a Parent Representative form if applicable) with the Nebraska Department of Education by July 15 each year, plus a certified birth certificate for each child the first year.

What subjects and hours does Nebraska require for homeschooling?

Exempt schools must provide instruction in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and health. Required annual instruction is 1,032 hours for elementary grades and 1,080 hours for high school. There is no standardized testing requirement.

Can Nebraska homeschoolers play public school sports?

Yes, since September 2023. Under LB705 (Neb. Rev. Stat. 79-2,136), exempt-school students who enroll part-time in courses at their local district — the law's benchmark is five credit hours in a semester — may participate in extracurricular activities, and schools may not prefer full-time students over them in selection. NSAA eligibility bylaws still apply for grades 9-12.

Does Nebraska issue diplomas or transcripts to homeschool graduates?

No. The state neither issues nor certifies diplomas or transcripts for exempt-school students. Parents issue the diploma themselves, and the NDE specifically recommends keeping a transcript of classes taken with grades received, since that parent-kept record is what colleges and employers will rely on.

What does the University of Nebraska-Lincoln require from homeschool applicants?

UNL expects the standard 16 core units — including 4 units of math and 2 units of the same world language — documented on a homeschool transcript. Homeschool applicants may be asked for curriculum synopses, course descriptions, proof of lab science work, and confirmation that the family's exempt-school paperwork is on file with the state. Test scores are not required for admission but are encouraged for scholarships.

Sources

This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. LearnHaven is not a law firm, and reading this site does not create any attorney-client or other professional relationship. Requirements change — always confirm details with your state's official sources before making decisions.

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