Welcome to this week’s roundup. The end of August brought two federal bills that could change how homeschool diplomas are treated, a new pass year for fourth graders, and application windows opening in three more states. Here is what homeschool families need to know.

Two federal bills could finally settle the homeschool diploma question

Two pieces of federal legislation are now sitting in the US Senate, and both matter for homeschool families well beyond any one state.

The Home School Graduation Recognition Act would require that a homeschool diploma be treated the same as one issued by a public or private school. If you have ever worried about how a homeschool diploma will be received by an employer, a college admissions office, or a military recruiter, this is the bill aimed squarely at that problem.

The COMPASS Act is written for military homeschool families. Moving across state lines in the middle of a school year means landing in a completely different set of homeschool requirements, sometimes with very little notice. The bill is designed to smooth that transition so a permanent change of station does not turn into a legal scramble.

Neither bill has passed. Both are worth watching, and both are worth a note to your senators if this is something your family has run into.

Read more at HSLDA

The fourth grade national parks pass resets on September 1

If you have a fourth grader this year, the Every Kid Outdoors pass is one of the best free things available to homeschool families, and the new pass year opens September 1.

The pass gets your whole vehicle into national parks and federal recreation sites at no charge, and it is good through August 31, 2027. Homeschool families qualify. You go to the Every Kid Outdoors website, have your child complete a short activity, and print the paper voucher, which you then exchange for the physical pass at a participating site.

One practical note. The voucher is tied to the child, so bring the fourth grader along. And if you have a child who is a young fifth grader now but was a fourth grader last year, that pass has already expired.

everykidoutdoors.gov

Two states are already being watched ahead of the 2027 sessions

After a difficult 2026 legislative season in which two states passed new restrictions on homeschooling, legal advocates are working ahead of the next round rather than reacting to it. Louisiana and West Virginia are both being watched for proposals that could surface when legislatures reconvene in 2027.

This is the quiet part of homeschool advocacy that rarely makes the news. The most effective work usually happens before a bill is ever filed. If you live in either state, this is a good year to know who represents you.

Tennessee: the second semester ESA window opens September 1

Tennessee families who missed the full year application have a second chance. The second semester Education Savings Account application opens September 1 at 12:00 p.m. Central and closes October 15 at 4:00 p.m. Central.

Two things to understand before you apply. The second semester award is half of the full year amount, not the whole thing. And students approved in this window begin attendance in January 2027, not this fall. The full 2026-27 school year application has already closed.

Tennessee Department of Education ESA page

Missouri: the MOScholars marketplace went live August 25

Missouri’s MOScholars program moved onto its new marketplace platform, which opened to families on August 25. If you are a MOScholars family, this is where your approved spending now happens, and it is worth logging in early to get familiar with it rather than waiting until you need something.

Missouri also raised the MOScholars funding cap to $60 million this year, up $10 million, which we covered last week. The larger pool and the new platform arriving together means more families should be able to get through. (Look for A to Z for Moms Like Me in the Odyssey Marketplace)

Wyoming: a new marketplace opens September 1

Wyoming’s Education Savings Account marketplace is scheduled to launch on September 1. Wyoming families, this is brand new, so expect the usual first month of a program finding its feet. Approved vendors and categories tend to fill in over the first several weeks rather than being complete on day one.

If you are in Wyoming and have not yet looked at what the account covers, now is the time, before the fall curriculum rush. (Look for A to Z for Moms Like Me in the Odyssey Marketplace)

Indiana: last call, the application closes September 1

An update on a story we covered last week. Indiana’s Education Scholarship Account application closes on September 1, which is this coming Tuesday. Awards run up to $8,000.

If you have been meaning to get to it, this is the weekend. Late applications are not accepted, and the next window will not open until next year. (Look for A to Z for Moms Like Me in the Odyssey Marketplace)

Around the country

• Eighteen states now operate education savings account programs, across 21 distinct programs, since several states run more than one.
• Arizona ESA enrollment reached 101,040 students as of August 3, making it still the largest program of its kind in the country. (Be sure to look for us in the CW Marketplace!)
• Florida Personalized Education Program awards for 2026-27 are running between $7,463 and $12,217 per student, depending on county and grade band.
• A reminder on national park fee free days. Beginning this year, fee free entry applies to US citizens and residents only, and National Public Lands Day is no longer on the fee free list.

Upcoming Homeschool Events

• September 1: The Every Kid Outdoors fourth grade pass year opens, valid through August 31, 2027. everykidoutdoors.gov
• September 11 and 12: Wild + Free Conference, Franklin, Tennessee. One of the larger gatherings of the fall season, with a strong nature study and literature focus.
• September 17: Constitution Day. All national park sites and federal recreation areas are fee free, and free classroom materials are available from several civics organizations.

Homeschool Facts and Tips for This Week

Did you know? Eighteen states now run education savings account programs, and between them there are 21 separate programs, because some states operate more than one. Five years ago that number was in the low single digits.

Myth to bust. “A homeschool diploma will not be taken seriously.” In practice, colleges have been admitting homeschool graduates for decades and most have a defined admissions path for them. The two federal bills in the Senate right now would close the remaining gaps, but families are already getting in, getting hired, and enlisting.

Record keeping tip. September is the easiest month of the year to start a portfolio, and the hardest one to start it in is April. Put one folder or one box somewhere obvious this week and drop in a sample of written work, a photo of a project, and a reading list every few weeks. Ten minutes a month beats a frantic spring.

Field trip tip. Plan your fall park visits around a fourth grader if you have one. The Every Kid Outdoors pass covers the whole vehicle, so a single fourth grader can carry the entire family into a park at no cost for a full year.

Deadline tip. Three programs have September 1 dates this year, and they are not the same kind of date. Indiana closes, Tennessee opens, Wyoming launches. Write down which one applies to you, because “September 1” on your calendar with no note attached is how families miss a window.

Until next week

Three September 1 deadlines, two federal bills, and one free parks pass. If you only do one thing from this week’s roundup, make it the one with the deadline attached to your state.

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