Specific subjects are not mandated for homeschoolers in Alabama, so your child can take any subject you feel he needs and in which he's interested. Although not required for homeschoolers, feel free to view the Alabama graduation requirements for public schools to give you some idea of how to proceed with a high schooler's education. Additionally, if your high school student plans for college, find out the admission requirements for the institutions he is considering and use the high school years to meet those requirements. You want your child to be competitive for college, so his transcript should show a rigorous college-prep regimen. If your child does not plan to attend college, then his high school subjects are entirely up to you and your child. He may prefer consumer math rather than calculus, for example. You will find plenty of resources from the library and on the Internet.

A transcript is an official school report itemizing a student's courses, grades, and credits. Because a transcript is “evidence” that backs up the diploma and details the student's education, only the person overseeing the student's education can accurately compile the transcript. As a result, parents of children enrolled in Outlook Academy prepare transcripts for their own children because only they know what courses have been completed and what grades have been earned. Colleges and universities do accept homeschool transcripts. You will find many sample homeschool transcripts online. Simply search on “homeschool transcript sample” and use them as a template for your own. Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) also provides information and transcript templates.

To apply for a driver's permit in Alabama, your student will need the NEW School Enrollment/Exclusion Form (DL1-93) filled out by the parent and signed by the Church School Administrator. You will fill out Section I and mail it to Outlook Academy with a self-addressed stamped business-sized envelope. We will fill out Section II, sign and return it to you in the envelope you provide. There is no extra charge. Do not wait until the week your child plans to take the driver's test to request the form. It will likely take 10 days to two weeks after your initial request to receive it back in the mail. For additional requirements, such as birth certificate and fees, go to https://www.alea.gov/dps/driver-license/document-requirements-and-fees. For the driver’s manual go to https://driving-tests.org/alabama/al-dmv-drivers-handbook-manual/ and for a free practice test go to https://www.dmv-written-test.com/alabama.

According to the Child Labor Reform Act of 2009, a permit is no longer required for each minor employed. In its place, employers are required to purchase a Certificate: Class I to employ minors aged 14 or 15 and/or Class II to employ minors aged 16 or 17. The certificates must be renewed annually. Additionally, an Eligibility to Work Form is required for each 14- or 15-year-old minor employed, but not 16-year-olds. Typically, these forms are provided by the school. However, since a teacher's signature is required to verify grades, the homeschool parent, as the child's teacher, provides this form to the employer. Download the form at https://labor.alabama.gov/docs/forms/UC_ChildLabor_ELIGIBILITY%20TO%20WORK.pdf.

According to Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), the Social Security Administration has permitted homeschoolers to receive benefits in some cases. According to Social Security Administration Policy RS 00205.275, "The child's home school instructor must submit evidence that state requirements for home schooling are met. The home schooling instructor is the certifying school official for FTA purposes on Form SSA-1372, Student's Statement Regarding School Attendance." Therefore, the parent, not Outlook Academy, must submit evidence. For more assistance in this matter, consult your attorney or the lawyers at HSLDA, if you are a member.

Students in 10th grade and above may “dual enroll” in a local college or university to earn both high school and college credits at the same time. The tuition fees are usually extremely reduced for dual enrollment classes, and they will give your teenager a jump start on college. College credits earned through dual enrollment can be transferred to other colleges or universities. Basically, a 3-credit semester college course equals a full year, one-credit high school class. Contact your local college or university or check their websites for information about admission for dual enrollment well before the semester your child wishes to attend.

Several homeschool proms are held between February and May in Alabama. Outlook Academy students in grades 9-12 are eligible to attend the Tri-County Homeschool Prom. Typically, one to three other homeschool proms are held every spring in such locations as Huntsville and Birmingham. Hosted by different organizations, they are usually open to homeschoolers of any cover school, so Outlook Academy students may attend any or all of them. Information about these proms will be included in the monthly newsletters as the dates approach.

The Alabama High School Exit Exam and the GED are not required by homeschoolers. Indeed, the GED can actually carry a stigma of a drop-out, since it implies that the student did not finish high school, which significantly lessens the value of an otherwise excellent academic record. As a result, Outlook Academy and Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) do not recommend that homeschoolers take the GED. When your child finishes his or her high school years, he or she deserves all the credits earned.

With over 80,000 members nationwide, HSLDA has observed that diplomas issued and signed by parents are the norm in the homeschool community, and parents can rest assured concerning the validity of those diplomas. They are accepted by employers, universities, and the military, virtually without exception. HSLDA recommends that the diploma itself be signed by the person who would be in the best position to give clear and credible testimony—in the unlikely event that it is ever needed—about the student’s education and what he or she did to earn the diploma. This will often be you, the parent. You may purchase a diploma from HSLDA or google diploma templates online.

Parents must notify Outlook Academy via email when their child completes his or her high school studies, so we may inform the Board of Education. Like most church schools, Outlook Academy does not have a graduation ceremony. However, if your senior craves a cap-and-gown experience, some of our graduates do participate in a Montgomery area commencement; information will be announced in our newsletter for interested families. Alternatively, many churches recognize the senior class during special worship services; check with your church to see how they honor the graduates. You can order diplomas and graduation announcements from HSLDA or other sites, so your senior will still be able to let others know of his or her achievement and will still benefit from all the graduation gifts and good wishes.

According to the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), homeschool graduates who desire a career with any of the four branches of the Armed Services are being treated as "preferred enlistees." As a result, homeschoolers receive the same educational benefits, cash bonuses, and available positions in the Armed Services as any of their peers. By law, the military is required to accept homeschool graduates on an equal basis with all other high school graduates. In addition, the Pentagon’s policy states that homeschool graduates are presumed to be in Tier I, and they remain in Tier I as long as they score at least a 50 on the AFQT (Armed Forces Qualification Test); furthermore, homeschool graduates are not required to provide proof of compliance with their state law and no longer required to provide detailed information of their homeschool program for recruitment.

According to HSLDA, a homeschool diploma issued by parents is just as valid to a college or university as a diploma issued by a private or public school; homeschoolers “self-certify” the completion of their high school program just as public and private schooled graduates self-certify that they have received a diploma. (In other words, they do not have to show their diploma to officials to prove they received one.) As a matter of fact, many colleges and universities actively recruit homeschool graduates! For admission, colleges and universities typically look at a student’s transcripts, ACT or SAT scores, extracurricular activities, and community service. Homeschoolers do not have to take the GED, and admissions officers should not require any form of third party corroboration. Also, homeschoolers are eligible for federal financial aid.

Most students begin taking college entrance exams, such as the ACT or SAT, in the 10th or 11th grade after they have had Algebra I and Geometry. Students may take the test more than once to improve their score because colleges will take the highest score. Using practice tests and taking ACT or SAT preparatory courses are highly recommended. Even if your child is not interested in going to college right now, have him or her take the ACT or SAT just in case. For more information, go to https://www.act.org/ for the ACT, and go to https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat for the SAT.

HSLDA has worked with legislators and the U.S. Department of Education to develop policies that allow nontraditional high school graduates to receive federal funding, so a college or university will not lose its federal funding if the school grants admission and/or financial aid to applicants who do not have accredited high school diplomas. Although a new U.S. Department of Education regulation requires colleges that receive federal funds to adopt procedures to determine the "validity" of a student’s high school diploma when the student applies for Federal Student Aid (FSA), this new rule does not apply to homeschoolers. However, homeschoolers do need to be careful to check “homeschooled” when filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to avoid delays in the processing of their application.