Legal Structures

A church school is a legal homeschool option in certain states where families educate at home under the administrative umbrella of a church-affiliated school, often with reduced regulatory requirements compared to independent homeschooling.

A church-related school is a formal educational institution operated by a church that enrolls homeschooling families as satellite campuses, with parents serving as faculty members teaching at home under the school's administrative supervision.

A correspondence school is an educational institution providing distance learning where students complete lessons independently at home and submit work for grading, receiving official transcripts and diplomas from the school.

A cover school (also called umbrella school) is an organization that provides legal oversight for homeschooling families, helping them meet state compulsory education requirements. Students are typically classified as private school students rather than traditional homeschoolers.

A home study program (HSP) is a parent-directed educational approach where families educate children at home in compliance with state regulations. In some states like Louisiana, HSP refers to a specific formally-approved program; in others, it's simply terminology for homeschooling.

Independent homeschool is a legal structure where parents file directly with their state or district as the teacher of record, taking full responsibility for meeting educational requirements without enrollment in an umbrella school or cover program.

A non-public school is a legal classification for any school not operated by government, including private schools, religious schools, and in many states, homeschools that operate under private school statutes.

A parochial school exemption is a legal provision that allows families to exempt their children from public school attendance by operating under a religious, private, or church school designation rather than standard homeschool regulations.

A Private School Affidavit (PSA) is an annual registration filed with the California Department of Education that establishes a home-based private school, allowing families to legally homeschool with complete educational freedom.

A Private School Exemption is a legal framework in several states that allows homeschooling families to operate their home education as a private school, exempting children from compulsory public school attendance with minimal state oversight.

A religious exemption allows parents to excuse their children from compulsory school attendance based on sincerely held religious beliefs that conflict with formal schooling. Virginia is the only state with a specific statute providing complete exemption from homeschool oversight requirements.

A satellite program (also called a Private School Satellite Program or PSP) is an arrangement where homeschooling families enroll in an established private school that handles state paperwork and provides administrative support while parents teach their children at home.

An umbrella school (also called a cover school) is a private school entity that provides administrative oversight for homeschooling families, allowing students to be classified as private school students while being educated at home.

A virtual public school (VPS) is a tuition-free, publicly funded K-12 school delivering all instruction online—but unlike homeschooling, students are legally enrolled in public school with state-certified teachers, state-mandated curriculum, and required standardized testing.