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 the initial BESE home study application to the Louisiana Department of Education no later than 15 days after beginning; renew by October 1 or within 12 months of the prior approval, whichever is later
• Maintain a record of 180 days of instruction per year
• Maintain attendance and other supporting records
• Teach the required subjects (see below)
• Submit the annual renewal and supporting documentation

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

Pathway 2: Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval

Louisiana law (La. R.S. 17:236.1) allows parents to operate a Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval (NSNSA). This pathway is not BESE-approved, but it still has annual enrollment and attendance-reporting requirements and does not confer eligibility for TOPS.

Requirements under the private school pathway:

• Submit the annual enrollment information or attendance confirmation required by the Louisiana Department of Education
• 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, the curriculum must be of a quality at least equal to that offered in public schools; the Louisiana Department of Education does not prescribe a specific curriculum. Families commonly document:

• 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 current LA GATOR scholarship is separate from home study. Louisiana Department of Education guidance says BESE-approved home study receives no state funding, and students in BESE-approved home study or a Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval cannot participate in LA GATOR at the same time.

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 not available to every homeschool pathway: students in BESE-approved home study may apply under the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance's home-study rules, while NSNSA students are not eligible. Requirements include the applicable academic and citizenship criteria, including ACT/SAT documentation where required.

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.

Admissions offices set their own documentation requirements. BESE approval may matter for Louisiana scholarship eligibility, but it is not a universal college-admissions requirement for homeschool applicants.

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 five through eighteen. Once a student graduates (or turns eighteen), they are no longer subject to compulsory attendance requirements. A home-study program or parent may issue a diploma; the Louisiana Department of Education and BESE do not award the diploma.

Louisiana's two-pathway system is genuinely flexible. The NSNSA route has less state oversight but still involves annual reporting and does not establish TOPS eligibility; the BESE route provides a paper trail that can simplify some scholarship and college-application processes. Most families who are heading toward selective colleges end up needing strong documentation regardless of which pathway they choose — so building good recordkeeping habits from the start is the best investment you can make.

See more United States guides →