College classes are part of an adult academic system with clear legal, professional, and even cultural boundaries. For homeschoolers, especially those of us who have teens who have never “been to school,” this is an enormously stressful new dance between the parent and the professor. Turf wars are real. Academic records are forever. Dual enrollment is expensive. We need to talk about this more.
Understand and Respect FERPA Rights
Your minor student has educational privacy rights that you might not be aware of – but colleges will make it very clear that you don’t automatically have access, and this usually shocks homeschool parents. FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law that governs who may access a student’s educational records once they are enrolled in an institution of higher education. When a student takes a college class, even as a minor, FERPA rights belong to the student. Students may grant a parent access by completing a FERPA waiver. While this legally allows you to view information, it does not change how colleges view your role – in most cases, a parent is never involved in a college student’s affairs, so when you step in, it is unusual for them. Do not expect institutions to welcome parent involvement, even with access on file. Separately, in my opinion, homeschool administrators should already have access to the student’s academic record. That the homeschool administrator is also a parent is secondary….However, until our legal system recognizes that distinction, homeschool parents are still treated as parents and subject to FERPA requirements. Best practice is to understand FERPA, file waivers when necessary, and understand that the college is in a relationship with the student (not the parent).
Acknowledge That You Hired the School as Teacher of Record
When a college instructor is the high school teacher of record, your student will receive outside grades, critiques, and feedback that may ABSOLUTELY feels uncomfortable. Homeschool parents want the best for their teens, and that’s probably why we took charge of their education. We care more about learning than grades, the whole student vs just their academics….but this is an opportunity to reframe the experience as learning how to be “good at school” when it is required. Resilience is built through exposure, not protection. Look at the entire college degree, not just this class, and you’ll see that your student will probably complete more than 1,000 quizzes and exams. They will submit hundreds of essays or dozens of research papers. All told, this one quiz or one assignment is nothing but a drop of water in a bucket. Teach your student how to keep moving forward – sometimes by learning and improving, other times by developing a thick skin and ignoring. Both are required of adults every day, helping them learn how to do this with grace and professionalism will pay off more than arguing for an extra point on the quiz.
Do Not Communicate With the College on the Student’s Behalf
Colleges will never contact you as the parent, and you should never contact them as the parent. There are times when you will contact the college as the school administrator (providing a high school transcript) but your scope is very limited. All communication must come from the student, not the parent. Emails, questions, accommodation requests, and clarifications are all the student’s responsibility. (Note: In grades k-12, learning accommodations are commonly addressed by a team that may include a special ed teacher, doctor, parent, teacher, etc., but in colleges, a learner must self-identify to the college and will work directly with a staff member privately. Accommodations are delivered to each professor by the student.) Your student’s dual enrollment program will not alter their practice because your student is still in high school; your student will have to step forward and act like a college student. Best practice is to coach the student through all of their interactions – teach them how to write professional emails, make phone calls, and attend meetings themselves.
Understand That Colleges Do Not Know Your Student Is a Minor
In HS4CC, homeschooled students enroll directly with the college, just like any other student. The college does not know the student is a minor, does not label the course as dual enrollment, and does not alter content. This is fundamentally different from public or private school dual enrollment models, where classes may be held on high school campuses or designed specifically for minors. Unlike an employment interview, age is not protected information, but it would be highly unusual for a professor to ask everyone’s ages in any class. You should assume that the professor doesn’t know if your student is 14, 24, or 94.
Serve as the High School Administrator
While the college handles instruction, the parent remains the homeschool administrator. This includes properly recording the course on the high school transcript, assigning credit, noting grades according to homeschool policy, and maintaining records. This administrative role is where the parents’ authority remains clear and appropriate.
Avoid Turf Wars by Respecting Jurisdiction
You might experience A feeling of turf war when your student enters a college class (ask me how I know!) Homeschool parents are used to being the authority, and colleges are not used to sharing authority. This tension is not personal, but it is real. Colleges view parents as outside parties, not partners, regardless of homeschooling status. Best practice is to recognize that the college owns instruction and evaluation, while the homeschool parent owns administration and recordkeeping. When each party stays within its jurisdiction, conflict disappears. Overstepping creates resistance, while clarity preserves long-term access and credibility for future students. As a homeschool parent, I always lean in. I have caught dozens of advisors’ enrollment errors, class scheduling problems, etc. But the real gift here is giving your student that second set of eyes so they can make it through a system that isn’t very good at graduating students. That your student learns how to play the game and come out on top.
It’s a process, but oh so worth doing.
