Homeschooled Students

1. Complete the application and submit it to the Messiah University Office of Admissions. The application is free until Nov. 15. Please complete our application online.
2. Submit a comprehensive transcript of your senior year academic program, as well as your courses and grades for ninth through eleventh grades. Please be sure your transcript is signed by your home educator and includes a cumulative high school GPA. If you have an independent evaluation of your academic progress by a qualified educator, please include that with your transcript. Recommendations are not required.
3. Messiah University's test-optional policy enables students to receive admission and secure scholarships without submitting standardized tests. If you plan to submit standardized test scores, official scores from the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or American College Test (ACT) or Classic Learning Test (CLT) should be sent directly to the Messiah University Office of Admissions. Testing information can be obtained from your local high school counselor or you can contact testing services directly.
   • SAT 866-756-7346 www.collegeboard.org
   • ACT 319-337-1270 www.act.org
   • CLT 844-925-8392 www.cltexam.com

Yes, a homeschool student is not required to have a GED or a state-certified diploma to apply. The applicant's transcript, test scores, essay and life experiences will be evaluated on an individual basis to determine if he or she exhibits the scholastic competence and excellence to benefit from and contribute to the Messiah University community.

Need to create a transcript? Use Messiah's high school transcript template to easily create one!

Applicants must graduate from an accredited senior high school, homeschool or cyberschool program. Course units from grades nine through twelve should include the following:

• 4 units in English
• 3 units in mathematics
• 3 units in natural science
• 3 units in social studies
• 2 units in foreign language (recommended)

The academic requirements for admission listed above is recommended. Students applying for admission to Messiah University are encouraged to enroll in as many academic and college preparatory courses as their high school schedule will allow. Most students who apply exceed the recommendations as listed.

Messiah University carefully evaluates courses taken at other colleges. In most cases, core curriculum (such as history of western civilization, public speaking, etc.) are applied toward Messiah's General Education curriculum. Course work must be completed at accredited colleges or universities and only grades of C or better will transfer. Along with the application, an official academic transcript from the college(s) attended must be forwarded directly to Messiah's admissions office. An evaluation of the transfer credit will be completed by our registrar after students have been accepted for admissions. Long distance learning credits are handled in the same manner if completed at an accredited college or university.

Please check out our Guide to Transfer Equivalencies for Messiah General Education Requirement.

Homeschool students who are accepted to Messiah University can apply for all federal, state and institutional aid. There are various ways for a homeschool student to qualify for federal aid. Some students qualify by obtaining a state certified home-school diploma or by completing the GED. Homeschool students can also qualify for federal financial aid if they have completed a secondary school education in a homeschool setting that qualified as an exemption from compulsory attendance requirements under State law. In Pennsylvania, if a student meets the graduation requirements for federal aid, he or she should meet the graduation requirements for state aid.

Homeschool students will be evaluated for academic scholarship in the same way as a traditional high school student. Scholarships for academic excellence and scholastic leadership range from $10,000 to full tuition and can be renewed yearly.

Learn more about the admissions process on our dedicated webpage for homeschooled and cyberschool students.

Contact information for the homeschool admissions counselor is available on our dedicated webpage for homeschool and cyberschool students.