A common misconception among parents is that choosing to homeschool will close doors to college recruitment or NCAA eligibility for their student-athlete. This is simply not true! The NCAA provides a clear, straightforward pathway to ensure talented homeschool athletes never miss out on their collegiate dreams.
The NCAA looks to you, as a homeschool parent, to verify the quality and rigor of your student's education. You are responsible for documenting your student's academic path and ensuring they meet necessary eligibility benchmarks. But with early preparation and clear organization, it is entirely manageable.
NCAA Homeschool Toolkit
If your student is fairly certain that they want to pursue collegiate athletics, it’s important to start early and structure their high school plan accordingly.
Homeschool families must follow the NCAA’s official guidelines precisely throughout high school. The NCAA Homeschool Initial Eligibility Requirements page has lots of helpful information.
The NCAA provides an official NCAA Homeschool Toolkit that you can download from their website. Parents should use this toolkit as the primary blueprint for planning high school coursework.
Begin reviewing the rules and planning courses as early as 8th grade because familiarizing yourself with the process and making a plan early eliminates last-minute stress.
Courses & Recordkeeping
16 Core Courses
True to its “student-athlete” commitment, the NCAA evaluates academic preparation not just athleticism.
Divisions I and II require 16 college-preparatory core courses in four years of high school across key subject areas, including English, math, natural or physical science, social science, and additional academic electives.
For Division I, follow the "10/7" rule, which means that 10 of the 16 core courses must be completed before the start of the seventh semester (the fall semester of senior year). Seven of those 10 courses must be in English, math, and science.
Core-Course Worksheets (CCWs)
For most homeschool courses, you need to fill out a Core-Course Worksheet (CCW) detailing the curriculum used, course description, assessment methods, and grading scale.
- Core-Course Worksheet (blank)
- Core-Course Worksheet Instructions (with samples)
Here are the types of courses your student may take and whether a CCW is required:
Parent-Taught Courses
Parents need to fill out a CCW for courses taught directly at home. Keeping textbook tables of contents and syllabus details and then filling out the CCW at the end of each school year (9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th) simplifies this process and keeps you from having to find course information years later.
Online Providers
Many (but not all) online homeschool providers and accredited platforms are pre-approved by the NCAA, and so don’t require a CCW. You should check with an online provider before your student begins coursework.
HSLDA Online Academy offers more than 20 NCAA-approved courses at a discount to HSLDA members. Just add the course to your student's NCAA High School Portal once they finish, and we will automatically send their final grades to the NCAA for you.
Dual Enrollment
Courses taken through a local community college or university count toward core credits and do not require a CCW—only the official college transcript needs to be submitted.
Co-ops and Other Group Classes
Co-op courses can be used to meet core requirements and would require a CCW.
Recordkeeping Tips
Accurate course documentation is essential. Course titles, credits, and grades on your student’s official transcript must match all supporting documentation submitted to the NCAA.
In addition to meeting NCAA requirements, ensure you're in full compliance with your state's homeschool graduation requirements.
Fill out CCWs or catalog course materials at the end of each academic year rather than attempting to compile four years of coursework during senior year.