Nebraska Homeschool Law: Rule 13

Not yet verified at a primary source. DiplomaPath has not independently verified Nebraska’s homeschool requirements against the statute text or the state’s own published guidance as of September 2026. The requirements described on this page may be incomplete or out of date.

Before you rely on any deadline, filing, or testing requirement here, confirm current law with the Nebraska Department of Education and the HSLDA Nebraska page. When this page has been checked against a primary source, this notice will be replaced with a verified date and a link to the statute.

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.

Nebraska homeschools fall under the exempt school category, Neb. Rev. Stat. §79-1601(2), administered through the Nebraska Department of Education’s Rule 13. Families file a Statement of Election and Assurances (Form A, plus Form B if using an authorized representative) each year the school operates, due by July 15 (late filings are still accepted). Nebraska requires no standardized testing, no teacher qualifications, and no subject-by-subject curriculum approval.

Instructional hours: Nebraska requires 1,032 hours/year for elementary grades and 1,080 hours/year for secondary grades (9–12), prorated if you start mid-year.

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

Nebraska’s Credit-Hour Public-School Benchmark

Nebraska homeschoolers aren’t bound to the public-school benchmark, which uses Nebraska’s own unit, not the standard Carnegie unit most states use: a minimum of 200 “high school credit hours,” with at least 80% in core curriculum.

Different unit system: Because Nebraska’s public benchmark is measured in credit hours rather than Carnegie units, it doesn’t translate directly to a standard subject-by-subject transcript table. Most Nebraska homeschool families instead plan toward the common national college-prep model (4 English, 3–4 Math, 3 Science, 3 Social Studies) and set those as custom targets in DiplomaPath’s Requirements tracker.

Required Transcript Elements

Use this checklist when building your Nebraska homeschool transcript:

  • Student information
    Full legal name, date of birth, address
  • Exempt school name
    The name of your home program
  • Courses organized by year
    Group by grade (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th) or academic year
  • Grades and grade points
    Letter grade and numeric grade point value; include your grading scale
  • Credits per course
    Full-year course = 1.0 credit; semester course = 0.5 credit (Carnegie Unit)
  • Cumulative GPA, weighted and unweighted
    Include the scale (e.g., A = 4.0; Honors +0.5; AP/dual-enrollment +1.0)
  • Total credits earned
  • Graduation date
  • Parent signature and title
    Sign as “Administrator” or “Supervisor” of your home program

GPA Calculation

GPA is calculated the same way in every state: multiply each course’s grade points by its credit value, sum all products, and divide by total credits. The standard 4.0 scale applies to most courses. Honors courses typically add 0.5 points; AP and dual-enrollment courses add 1.0 point for a weighted GPA.

Always report both weighted and unweighted GPA on your transcript, clearly labeled. Include your complete grading scale (e.g., A = 93–100 = 4.0) so admissions reviewers understand exactly how grades were assigned.

Want to calculate GPA automatically? Use our free Homeschool GPA Calculator, enter courses and grades and get weighted and unweighted GPA instantly.

Common Mistakes

  • 1
    Confusing elementary and secondary hour requirements
    Nebraska’s 1,032-hour and 1,080-hour thresholds apply to different grade bands. Confirm which one applies to your student before logging hours.
  • 2
    Missing the July 15 filing deadline
    Late filings are accepted, but don’t rely on that leniency. File the Statement of Election by July 15 to keep your compliance record clean.
  • 3
    Skipping SAT/ACT because testing isn’t state-required
    Nebraska doesn’t mandate testing, but Nebraska colleges still expect or recommend SAT/ACT scores from homeschool applicants.

Generate a Complete Nebraska Transcript Automatically

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