Georgia Homeschool Law: Declaration of Intent

Two free things before you read on. The sample transcript PDF is yours either way, no email needed, and the transcript checklist walks through what to include, line by line.

Georgia home study is governed by O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690. Parents must file a Declaration of Intent with the Georgia Department of Education within 30 days of starting a home study program, and by September 1 each year after that. The declaration covers the school year and confirms that your home study program meets the statutory requirements.

Georgia law requires 180 days of instruction per year, with each school day at least four and one-half hours. The parent or guardian directing the home study program must hold a high school diploma or GED. Students must take a nationally standardized test at least every three years, beginning at the end of third grade. You keep the results in your own records; Georgia does not require you to submit them to any school authority. The instructor must also write an annual progress assessment report covering each required subject and retain it for at least three years. That retention-not-submission rule is exactly why organized records matter: nobody collects them from you, but you must be able to produce them.

September 1 deadline: The Declaration of Intent must be filed at the start of each school year. If you miss the deadline, file as soon as possible, late filing is better than no filing. Keep a copy of your submitted declaration as part of your permanent records.
  • Annual Declaration of Intent filed by September 1
  • 180 days of instruction per year
  • Parent must hold high school diploma or GED
  • Nationally standardized test at least every three years from the end of third grade, results kept in your records

Comparing Georgia with another state, or planning a move? See our guide to homeschool graduation requirements by state.

Georgia College Career Ready Credit Benchmark (23 Credits)

Georgia sets no state-mandated credit minimum for homeschool graduation, you define your own diploma. However, the Georgia College Career Ready pathway (used by Georgia public schools) is the accepted benchmark for college admission. Most Georgia colleges, including the University System of Georgia, expect to see a transcript that reflects this 23-credit structure.

Subject Area Notes Credits
English Language ArtsEnglish 9–124.0
MathematicsAlgebra I, Geometry, Algebra II required4.0
SciencePhysical Science, Biology + 2 elective sciences4.0
Social StudiesUS History, Economics/Business/Finance, World History3.0
Fine Arts / CTEArts or Career/Technical Education3.0
Health / Physical Education1.0
World LanguageSame language, 2 years2.0
Electives2.0
TotalCollege Career Ready pathway23.0
DiplomaPath tip: Set your Georgia custom credit targets in DiplomaPath to match the 23-credit College Career Ready pathway. The Requirements screen tracks earned vs. planned credits per subject in real time.

What Georgia Colleges Expect on a Homeschool Transcript

The University System of Georgia (USG), which includes UGA, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, and 23 other institutions, reviews homeschool applicants on the same academic criteria as public school students. Admissions offices expect to see a clear, well-organized transcript with the following elements:

  • Student and school information
    Student name, date of birth, home school name, address
  • Courses by grade year with letter grades and credits
    Group by 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th grade; include credit value per course
  • Cumulative GPA, weighted and unweighted
    Include your grading scale (A = 4.0; Honors +0.5; AP +1.0)
  • Total credits earned
  • SAT or ACT scores
    Not required by state law, but expected by most Georgia colleges for admission and HOPE Scholarship consideration
  • Parent signature as administrator
    Sign as the home school administrator, this is standard and legally appropriate under Georgia home study law

Common Georgia Homeschool Transcript Mistakes

These are the mistakes Georgia homeschool families most often make when building a high school transcript:

  • 1
    Not filing the September 1 Declaration of Intent
    Missing the annual declaration can create legal ambiguity about your home study status. File by September 1 each year and keep copies, some colleges ask for proof of legal homeschool status.
  • 2
    Treating the every-three-years test as optional because nobody collects the results
    Georgia does require a nationally standardized test at least every three years, starting at the end of third grade. The results stay in your records instead of going to the state, but the requirement is real. Separately, virtually every Georgia college expects SAT or ACT scores. Plan for at least one SAT or ACT attempt in 11th grade, and keep every test record in the same file as the transcript.
  • 3
    Only logging 3 science credits instead of 4
    The Georgia College Career Ready pathway requires 4 science credits, not 3 as some families assume. Physical Science, Biology, and two additional lab sciences are the benchmark. Plan this early so the sequence fits in four years.
  • 4
    Misclassifying CTE as an elective instead of Fine Arts / CTE
    Georgia’s College Career Ready pathway has a 3-credit Fine Arts / CTE bucket. Career and Technical Education courses count here, not as generic electives. Label them correctly on the transcript so admissions reviewers can see the requirement is met.

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