A. Yep. Witness FS 1002.41 section 4 through 9 :

1006.15 says home education students can participate in public school extracurricular activities at the public school at which they’d normally be assigned, or to which they’d normally be eligible under school choice options, or under any agreement with a private school,  if they:

o       Meet all of the above home education requirements;

o       Demonstrate, during the period of participation at a school, educational progress in all subjects taken in the home education program by a method of evaluation agreed upon by the parent and the school principal

o       Meet standard residency requirements

o       Meet standards of behavior and conduct required by the school in which they are participating in programs

o       Register with the appropriate school with his or her intent to participate in a program

A few additional details can be read in FS1006.15, regarding decisions to enroll in the public school, and inability to maintain academic eligibility, but the above are the most relevant.

You can read all about this great scholarship program at the Bright Futures website: http://www.firn.edu/doe/brfutures/ . Please inquire there with specific questions.

Another great option for all Florida students, dual enrollment allows high school students to enroll in post secondary courses in state colleges, tuition free. Eligible students may even complete their final year of high school at a local college.

As per the Bureau of Public School Options (http://www.firn.edu/doe/flbpso/) , “[Dual Enrolled students] earn credit toward high school graduation and at the same time earn credit toward a college degree or technical certificate. All 28 public community colleges and some of the state universities in Florida participate in dual enrollment. Students are permitted to take dual enrollment courses on a part-time basis during school hours, after school, or during the summer term. Dual enrollment students do not have to pay registration, matriculation, or laboratory.”

The best place to become fully educated about dual enrollment is at the DoEs Office of Articulation website at http://www.firn.edu/doe/postsecondary/index.html  This page is a phenomenal resource for any and all questions regarding post secondary education.  Of particular value to the high school student is the state’s FACT (Florida Academic Counseling and Tracking for Students) page at http://www.facts.org/ where you and your child can explore an enormous variety of resources, and where the Office of Articulation files all of its information about dual enrollment: http://www.facts.org/cgi-bin/eaglec 

(7)  Home education students are eligible for admission to community colleges in accordance with the provisions of s. 1007.263.

Both of those just mean home education students can apply to attend state colleges and universities just like everyone else. Some good resources for homeschool students coming into post secondary education with a non-traditional background include:

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), at http://www.nacacnet.org, features an excellent article on its website called,
“College Admission for the Home-Schooler” ( or http://tinyurl.com/ftvao ) that provides a comprehensive overview of how homeschoolers can most successfully apply for college enrollment.

An ERIC Digest from 2003 includes some useful information for the college bound as well: http://www.ericdigests.org/2005-2/homeschooling.html

This means your child, like every other child in the state, is eligible to receive any special needs diagnostic evaluation and testing services.  You can visit the Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services Clearinghouse at http://www.firn.edu/doe/bin00014/clerhome.htm, or the  Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System (FLDRS) website to learn more: http://www.paec.org/fdlrsweb/index.htm

Q. Speaking of Exceptional Education, homeschooling looks like it might work pretty well for my special needs child. Do I have to do anything special with respect to enrolling her in the home education program?

A. Technical Assistance Paper 312790,  at http://www.firn.edu/doe/commhome/pdf/y2006-16.pdf , issued in June 2006, deals with just this issue. In November 2006, the FL DOE clarified some points in the ruling.  The memo reads:

"In an effort to improve the quantity and quality of educational outcomes for students with disabilities, the Bureau developed a technical assistance paper (TAP) 312790 dated June 2006, entitled Serving Students with Disabilities through Modified Schedule and/or Home Instruction.

"Providing instruction in the parent's home or mutually agreed upon location would require parental permission as the parent or guardian would have to make accommodations. Such permission may be documented through the individual educational plan (IEP) conference notes or some other informal means at the district's discretion. On page three of the TAP it previously stated, "Prior written notice of change of placement would have to be completed because services would be different from current services." The TAP also stated, "parental consent would be required." This is not to be interpreted to mean a formal parental consent. The TAP 312815, dated August 2006, has been revised to reflect this clarification and replaces the original TAP 312790, dated June 2006."

You can contact Dr. Lee Clark, Program Specialist with the Florida Department of Education, by telephone at (850) 245-0478 or by electronic mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  if you have additional questions.

Read on for more on private schools, virtual schools, reenrolling in public schools and diplomas and transcripts.