Home School Graduation Recognition Act (S. 3747)

Summary

The Home School Graduation Recognition Act is a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on January 29, 2026. The main purpose of the bill is to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to recognize students who have completed their secondary education in a home school setting as high school graduates, for the purposes of federal student aid and other higher education programs.

Key Provisions

• Modifies the Higher Education Act to specify that a student who has completed a secondary school education in a home school setting that is treated as a home school or private school under state law shall be considered a high school graduate.
• This change would allow home-schooled students to be eligible for federal student aid programs, such as Pell Grants and federal student loans, that typically require a high school diploma or equivalent.

Impact and Affected Parties

• If enacted, this bill would primarily impact home-schooled students by expanding their access to federal higher education assistance programs.
• It could also affect colleges and universities, as they would need to accept home-schooled students as high school graduates for admissions and financial aid purposes.
• State governments may also be affected, as they would need to ensure their home school laws and regulations align with the new federal recognition of home-schooled students as high school graduates.

Timeline and Procedure

• The bill was introduced in the Senate on January 29, 2026 and was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
• No further legislative action has been taken on the bill at this time.
• If the bill is reported out of committee, it would then need to be considered and passed by the full Senate and House of Representatives before being signed into law by the President.