Registration Changes for Penn Foster Families in Tennessee

August 1, 2024September 10, 2024 tnhomeschoolers East TN, Middle TN, West TN

UPDATE 8/13/24: Penn Foster Again Approved Category III School in Tennessee

Tennessee Families using Penn Foster for home school will have to do one extra step to complete their registration for the 2024/2025 school year. As of Thursday, July 11, 2024, Penn Foster is no longer an accredited online school option on the State of Tennessee Category III Non-Public Online Schools approved list.

Although Category III schools do not fall under the Tennessee home school definition, families are able to use the option to conduct a child’s education at home. Prior to the recent release of the State list, Penn Foster, still listed as accredited by Cognia on its website, was one of more than 40 schools home school families could choose from to educate their child online.

What does this mean for families registered with Penn Foster?

According to a Penn Foster representative, it does have a plan in place to take corrective measures to be added to the approved schools list again. Until that time, families currently registered with Penn Foster along with those who will start new with the school are able to still use the school for home education, but will be required to do an additional step. They will need to also either register as an independent home school or with an approved Church-Related Umbrella School (Category IV) to continue homeschooling in Tennessee. Penn Foster will be recognized as curriculum only and students must be registered using one of the aforementioned options.

If a family registers as an independent home school, students will be required to participate in TCAP testing in the required years, fifth, seventh, and ninth grades. They will also be required to turn in an attendance sheet by June 30, 2025, for the 2024/2025 school year.

If a family registers with a Church-Related Umbrella School (Category IV), they will be required to fulfill the requirements of that umbrella school.

Still looking for an accredited online home school option?

If an accredited online school is preferred to home school, families may choose one of the schools on the State of Tennessee Category III Non-Public Online Schools approved list. Only the schools on that list may be used for online home school.