A Alaska Field Guide · Updated for 2026

How to start homeschooling in Alaska.

A clear, practical guide for families ready to bring learning home - written for the way Alaska actually does it. No notice to file. No required subjects, hours, or tests. One statute that simply says you may. Everything you need to begin with confidence, in plain language and without the noise.

The Path · Getting Started

Five steps from is this allowed? to your first day on the kitchen table.

№ 01
01

Choose independence or a correspondence program.

Alaska gives you a real choice. Independent home education under AS 14.30.010(b)(12) means total freedom and zero paperwork - and zero funding. The state's 30+ public correspondence programs offer an annual allotment and teacher support, but your child becomes a public school student with that program's requirements.

What to decide
The main routes:
  • Independent home education - AS 14.30.010(b)(12)
  • State-funded public correspondence program - AS 14.30.010(b)(10)
  • Private/religious school or certificated tutor - AS 14.30.010(b)(1)
02

Confirm you're free to start - then withdraw cleanly.

There is no Notice of Intent in Alaska and no office waiting for one. If your child is enrolled in a school, send a short, dated withdrawal letter and keep a copy - that single page documents the transition. If your child has never enrolled, you simply begin.

Your withdrawal letter should include
  • Child's name and grade
  • A statement that the child will be educated at home under AS 14.30.010(b)(12)
  • The effective date of withdrawal
  • Your signature - keep a dated copy
03

Build the year you want.

Alaska mandates no subjects, no curriculum approval, and no minimum days or hours for independent homeschoolers. A core of reading, writing, math, science, and social studies serves most families well - then shape the rest around your child, your community, and the seasons Alaska actually keeps.

Useful starting points
  • Alaska content standards (for benchmarks, not requirements)
  • Local co-ops, libraries & APHEA support groups
  • Correspondence program catalogs - good idea lists even if you stay independent
  • Curriculum review sites like Cathy Duffy
04

Keep records anyway.

Alaska asks for nothing, but good records protect you - if you move to a stricter state, enroll your child back in school, or build a high school transcript. A simple attendance log, a yearly materials list, and a folder of sample work take minutes to maintain and answer every question before it's asked.

Keep on file
  • Simple attendance or progress log
  • Yearly list of curriculum & materials
  • Sample work from each subject
  • Course descriptions & transcript for high school
05

Weigh the allotment, activities, and the diploma.

If funding matters, compare correspondence programs - allotments vary, and the system is under litigation, so verify current status. If school sports matter, know that ASAA generally limits independent homeschoolers, and a correspondence or part-time enrollment is the usual door in. For graduation, you set the requirements and issue the diploma - or let your program do it.

Worth planning early
  • Correspondence allotments & each program's rules
  • ASAA alternative-education eligibility for activities
  • Parent-issued diploma & transcript, or a program diploma
  • Allotment litigation status (check before you budget)
The Law · Alaska

Total freedom or funded support - both are yours

№ 02

Alaska's exemption could hardly be shorter: under AS 14.30.010(b)(12), compulsory attendance does not apply to a child who 'is being educated in the child's home by a parent or legal guardian.' Since 1997 that sentence has carried no notice, no subjects, no hours, no testing, and no teacher qualifications. Families who want state funding and support can instead enroll in a public correspondence program - a different legal status with real money and real strings.

Option 01

Independent Home Education

Best for families who want complete freedom over curriculum, calendar, and methods - with zero paperwork and zero oversight.

  • No notice, forms, or registration - ever
  • No required subjects, days, hours, or testing
  • No teacher qualifications for parents
  • You keep your own records and issue the diploma
  • Governed by AS 14.30.010(b)(12)
Option 02

Public Correspondence Program

Best for families who want an annual student allotment, certified-teacher support, and an accredited diploma - and accept public school status.

  • Enroll in one of 30+ state-approved programs (IDEA, Raven, and district programs)
  • Annual allotment for curriculum, lessons & materials - amounts vary by program
  • Individual learning plan, teacher contact & program assessments required
  • Student is legally a public school student; allotment statutes under litigation in 2025-26
  • Governed by AS 14.30.010(b)(10) & AS 14.03.300-.310
Option 03

Private School or Certificated Tutor

Best for families using a religious or other private school's home-study structure, or a certificated teacher as tutor.

  • Religious/private schools operate under AS 14.45.100-200
  • The school files enrollment papers and runs a 180-day term
  • Tutoring option requires certification under AS 14.20.020
  • Comparable-education option per AS 14.30.010(b)(1)
  • Rarely used - most families choose Option 01 or 02
Requirements · Curriculum

Nothing is required - here's a sturdy core anyway.

№ 03

Honesty first: Alaska law requires no subjects of independent homeschoolers - not one. What follows is the core most Alaska families (and the state's own correspondence programs) build around, offered as a starting point rather than a rule. Teach them in any order, at any pace, by any method.

01

Reading + Language Arts

Phonics, fluency, comprehension, and literature across genres and grade levels.

02

Writing

Composition, grammar, mechanics, and writing across the curriculum.

03

Mathematics

Numeracy, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and applied math reasoning.

04

Science

Inquiry and observation - and few states offer a better outdoor laboratory.

05

Social Studies

History, geography, government, and Alaska's own remarkable story.

0
Forms to file

No notice, no registration, no renewal - AS 14.30.010(b)(12) attaches no paperwork to home education.

7
Compulsory age begins

School is compulsory from age 7 to 16 - children under 7 need no schooling arrangement at all.

30+
Correspondence programs

State-funded public programs statewide offering annual student allotments - the optional, funded alternative to independence.

180
Days - private schools only

Only religious/private schools under AS 14.45 keep a 180-day term. Independent homeschoolers have no day count whatsoever.

Questions · Answered Honestly

Honest answers for the last frontier of homeschooling

№ 04
No. AS 14.30.010(b)(12) requires only that the child be educated at home 'by a parent or legal guardian' - no degree, license, or qualification of any kind. The separate tutoring exemption requires a certificated teacher, but that is a different option, not a requirement on parents.
Yes - really nothing. Alaska has no notice-of-intent process, no registration, and no district acknowledgment for independent home education. The exemption is automatic under AS 14.30.010(b)(12). The only letter worth writing is a withdrawal letter if your child is currently enrolled somewhere, and that goes to the school, not the state.
Yes, any day of the year. Send a short, dated withdrawal letter to the school, keep a copy, and begin teaching at home. There is no waiting period, no approval, and no follow-up filing. If your child is enrolled in a correspondence program, follow that program's withdrawal process instead.
Legal status and money. Independent homeschooling under AS 14.30.010(b)(12) is private, unfunded, and unregulated. Correspondence programs (AS 14.30.010(b)(10)) are public schools you attend from home: you get an annual allotment, certified-teacher support, and an accredited diploma, but you follow the program's learning plan and assessments. Note that the allotment statutes are under active litigation as of 2025-26 - programs are operating, but verify before you budget around the funds.
Not currently any, by law. We still recommend a simple attendance or progress log, a yearly materials list, and a folder of sample work - they make re-enrollment, a move to a stricter state, or a college application dramatically easier. High schoolers should have course descriptions and a parent-maintained transcript.
Not easily as an independent homeschooler. ASAA, which governs interscholastic activities, generally limits competition to students under a member school's umbrella - and most member schools cannot field non-enrolled students. The practical routes are enrolling in a public correspondence program or part-time at the local school, then meeting ASAA's alternative-education eligibility rules. Talk to your district's activities director early.
Yes. Independent homeschool parents set their own graduation requirements and issue their own diploma and transcript - there are no state minimums. Families in correspondence programs can earn the program's accredited district diploma instead, which some families prefer for the paper trail.
Not for independent homeschooling - there is no ESA, and AS 14.30.010(b)(12) families receive no funds. The state's money flows through public correspondence programs, where enrolled students receive an annual allotment (amounts vary by program) for curriculum and materials. Accepting it means accepting public school status and program rules - and the allotment system's constitutionality is being litigated, so check current status.
Resources · Alaska

Where Alaska families chart their course

№ 05
Official - State

Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

DEED's school options and correspondence pages explain the legal landscape and list every state-approved correspondence program.

Visit DEED
Community - Statewide

Alaska Private and Home Educators Association (APHEA)

Alaska's statewide homeschool organization - law guides, an annual convention, support groups, and a steady watch on the legislature.

Visit APHEA
Legal - National

Home School Legal Defense Association

Plain-language summaries of Alaska's options, plus member-only legal advocacy if you ever face questions despite the state's light touch.

Read the Law
The Alaska Getting Started Kit

Everything from this guide, ready to use.

The Alaska Getting Started Kit turns near-total freedom into a working plan - five polished, print-ready documents built for a state that asks nothing and rewards families who stay organized anyway.

  • School Withdrawal Letter template - the one document Alaska families actually need, citing AS 14.30.010(b)(12); since there is no notice of intent, this letter is your clean paper trail.
  • Alaska Decision Worksheet - independent homeschooling vs. a correspondence allotment, with the funding, oversight, and litigation trade-offs side by side.
  • Recordkeeping Log - a light attendance and progress tracker, built for a state with no requirements but real reasons to keep records.
  • Weekly Planning Template - organized around a five-subject core, with room for the outdoors, co-ops, and the long Alaska winter.
  • First 30 Days Roadmap - from decision to first lesson, including the ages 7-16 compulsory window and when you can simply wait.
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Arrowstead Academy

Insights, tools, and inspiration to help you cultivate wisdom, curiosity, and character at home.

Arrowstead Academy provides educational information, not legal advice. Homeschool law changes; verify current requirements with the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development and your school district, or consult an attorney. Statute citations reflect Alaska law as of 2026.

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