Homeschooling in Louisiana: Laws, Requirements, and Getting Started

Louisiana gives homeschool families a choice that most states do not: you can operate with significant state oversight, or you can operate with virtually none. The pathway you choose affects your paperwork burden, your curriculum flexibility, and — critically — your options when your child applies to college.

Here is how both pathways work and what you need to consider before picking one.

Two Homeschool Pathways in Louisiana

Pathway 1: Approval Through the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE)

Under this pathway, you apply for approval to homeschool through the Louisiana Department of Education. The state reviews your application and, once approved, you are officially recognized as a home study program.

Requirements under the BESE pathway: - Submit a letter of intent to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education - Maintain a record of 180 days of instruction per year - Keep attendance records available for inspection - Teach the required subjects (see below) - Submit to periodic state review

This pathway gives your homeschool an "approved" status, which can matter for some college applications and for Louisiana's scholarship programs.

Pathway 2: Home-Based Private School

Louisiana law (La. R.S. 17:236.1) allows parents to homeschool under a private school exemption. Under this pathway, you are operating an unregistered private school — no state application, no annual filing, no oversight beyond maintaining records.

Requirements under the private school pathway: - Maintain a register of attendance - Teach subjects "required by law" — in practice, similar core academics - No minimum instructor qualifications

This is the lighter-touch option and the one most Louisiana homeschool families choose for its flexibility.

Required Subjects

Regardless of which pathway you choose, Louisiana expects instruction in core academic subjects. For the BESE pathway, approved curricula must cover:

• English language arts (reading, writing, grammar, literature)
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social studies (including Louisiana and US history)
• Health and physical education
• The arts (art or music)

The private school pathway requires instruction in subjects "required by law" — which is interpreted broadly to mean similar academic content without the specifics being dictated by the state.

Curriculum Choice

Louisiana does not mandate a specific curriculum under either pathway. You can use a structured packaged curriculum, an online program, a classical approach, unschooling methods, or any combination. The BESE pathway may require you to document the curriculum you use, while the private school pathway gives you essentially complete freedom.

The Louisiana Scholarship Context

Louisiana's Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence (SSEE) program and the Louisiana Education Savings Account (ESA) program provide public funding for education options, including some homeschool-adjacent choices. However, direct homeschool instruction is generally not reimbursable under these programs — they are designed for approved private schools and educational service providers. Families who want to use public funds must typically enroll in an approved educational program.

The Bright Futures Question (It's Florida — but Relevant)

Louisiana does not have a scholarship program equivalent to Florida's Bright Futures that directly rewards standardized test performance for homeschoolers. However, many Louisiana colleges offer merit aid tied to ACT scores, and Louisiana homeschool students are eligible to take the ACT. Louisiana's TOPS scholarship (Taylor Opportunity Program for Students) is available to Louisiana residents attending Louisiana colleges — homeschool graduates are eligible if they meet the academic and citizenship requirements, which include ACT/SAT scores and high school GPA.

For the TOPS award, homeschool students must be able to document a qualifying GPA. This is another reason why keeping organized academic records from 9th grade forward matters enormously.

Getting Into Louisiana Colleges

Louisiana State University, Tulane University, Loyola University New Orleans, and most Louisiana colleges accept homeschool applicants. Most require a transcript, standardized test scores (ACT is the dominant test in Louisiana), and typically two or more letters of recommendation.

The more selective the institution, the more weight a high ACT score carries for homeschool applicants — because it provides external validation that a parent-created transcript cannot supply on its own. For applicants to Tulane or Loyola, the combination of a well-structured transcript, strong ACT score, and evidence of extracurricular depth (service hours, dual enrollment, community involvement) is the standard expectation.

LSU and most state universities use the BESE pathway approval as one indicator of compliance, but they do not require it for all homeschool applicants — particularly if SAT/ACT scores are strong.

High School Planning: Starting in 9th Grade

The paperwork mistake most Louisiana homeschool families make is treating high school the same way they treat middle school: no formal transcripts, no Carnegie unit tracking, informal grading. That approach works fine until junior year, when college applications begin and there is nothing to submit.

Starting in 9th grade, every course should be logged with: - A formal course title - The credit value (Carnegie units: 1.0 for full year, 0.5 for semester) - A final grade - A brief course description noting the curriculum and materials used

The United States University Admissions Framework covers the full system for building a college-ready transcript — including how to calculate GPA correctly, write a school profile, and handle the Common App Counselor section for Louisiana families applying to both in-state and out-of-state schools.

Compulsory Age and Exit

Louisiana's compulsory school age runs from seven through eighteen. Once a student graduates (or turns eighteen), they are no longer subject to compulsory attendance requirements. Under the private school pathway, the parent issues the diploma; under the BESE pathway, the state provides a certificate of completion.

Louisiana's two-pathway system is genuinely flexible. The private school route gets you out of the state's oversight entirely; the BESE route provides a paper trail that can simplify some college application processes. Most families who are heading toward selective colleges end up needing strong documentation regardless of which pathway they chose — so building good recordkeeping habits from the start is the best investment you can make.