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House Education Committee advances Homeschool Graduation Recognition Act clarifying federal aid eligibility
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Summary
The House Education and Labor Committee reported HR6392 to the House after adopting an amendment clarifying the bill pplies to Title IV federal student aid; sponsors said the measure removes a drafting ambiguity that led some colleges to treat lawful homeschool graduates as non‑graduates.
The House Education and Labor Committee on Thursday advanced legislation aimed at removing an ambiguity in federal law that some members said has led colleges to treat lawful homeschool graduates as if they had not completed high school.
Representative Mark Harris, sponsor of HR6392, told the committee the Homeschool Graduation Recognition Act would ‘‘bring clarity to the law to ensure that lawful homeschool graduates are recognized as legitimate high school graduates.’’ He said an outdated heading in the Higher Education Act had led some compliance officers to impose unnecessary documentation requirements on homeschool applicants.
The measure was amended on the floor of the markup to explicitly state that the bill pplies to federal student aid programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. Representative Scott, the committee emocratic ranking member, said that clarification aligned the bill with existing law and would prevent confusion over federal student aid eligibility.
During debate Representative Lucy McBath, speaking in support, recounted her personal experience as a homeschool educator and described homeschooling as a hard but worthwhile choice for many families. McBath said the bill would protect students from discriminatory admissions practices that require excessive paperwork or additional testing.
Witnesses and members on both sides described data showing homeschooled students often perform well on standardized tests and in college, and speakers stressed nondiscrimination while reiterating support for public education. Representative Kiley, a cosponsor, said the change would ‘‘affirm the value of homeschooling while protecting the rights of homeschool families.’’
The committee agreed to the amendment in the nature of a substitute and later voted to report HR6392 to the House by recorded vote, 33 yeas and 0 nays. The accompanying materials will be transmitted to the House for floor consideration.
The committee allowed members to submit written statements for the record and authorized staff to make technical and conforming changes to the bill text before transmission.
