Imagine a child, bright-eyed and eager, whose only "crime" is learning at home—yet doors to college slam shut because a diploma from Mom and Dad isn't "real" enough. In a nation built on freedom, why do we still chain the dreams of nearly 3.7 million young minds? This isn't just unfair; it's a quiet sabotage of tomorrow's leaders.
Enter H.R. 6392, the Home School Graduation Recognition Act—a beacon of clarity in the fog of federal law. Introduced in the 119th Congress, this bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to affirm what every homeschool family knows: a homeschool graduation is a high school diploma, plain and simple. No more ambiguity that brands these students as "not high school graduates," forcing them into GEDs or endless paperwork just to chase a degree.
Supporters, including the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), hail it as a shield against discrimination, ensuring equal access to federal student aid and college admissions. As HSLDA President James R. Mason declares, it "will eliminate ambiguity, prevent ongoing misinterpretation, and ensure equal treatment for homeschool graduates." In an era where education shapes destinies, this act isn't optional—it's urgent.
The roots of this need run deep into America's soil, where homeschooling isn't a fad but a revival. Today, 3.7 million students—about 6.7% of school-age children—are homeschooled, a figure that surged from 2.5 million pre-pandemic.
And it's exploding: In the 2024-2025 school year alone, homeschooling grew at 5.4% nationwide—nearly triple the pre-2020 rate of 2%. Thirty-six percent of reporting states hit record highs, outpacing even COVID peaks. Why this rush to the hearth? Families are fleeing a public system adrift, one that too often leaves children academically adrift.
Public education, once a sturdy vessel, now lists under waves of decline. National Assessment of Educational Progress scores for 2024 reveal stark failures: Only 33% of eighth-graders are proficient in reading, 26% in math—down from pre-pandemic highs and far below what a competitive future demands.
Chronic absenteeism hovers at 25% nationally, with cities like Chicago at 41%, eroding the very foundations of learning. Parents cite poor academic quality and mismatched teaching as top reasons for opting out—72.6% in recent surveys. It's not hyperbole: These kids aren't being equipped for jobs in AI, engineering, or innovation; they're treading water in a sea of outdated curricula and distractions.
Contrast this with homeschooling's quiet triumphs. Studies from the National Home Education Research Institute show that homeschooled students score 15 to 25 percentile points higher on standardized tests—65th to 75th percentile, versus public schools' 50th percentile. Black homeschoolers outperform public peers by 23 to 42 points.
And it's not tied to wealth or parental degrees; 78% of peer-reviewed studies confirm homeschoolers excel statistically, regardless. They graduate college at 67%, topping public rates by 10 points. Why? Tailored paces, moral grounding, and five weekly extracurriculars for 98%—building not just scholars, but whole souls. In a world racing toward tomorrow, this is preparation; the alternative is peril.
History whispers the same truth: Some of our greatest leaders didn't conquer classrooms—they claimed knowledge at kitchen tables. Consider George Washington, our first president, homeschooled by his father and a local rector in classics and surveying, forging the resolve that birthed a nation. Thomas Jefferson, architect of independence, absorbed Latin, Greek, and French under family tutors, his mind a forge for the Declaration.
Abraham Lincoln, the rail-splitter who preserved the Union, devoured books by firelight in a log cabin, his self-taught wisdom ending slavery's chains. Theodore Roosevelt, the Rough Rider who charged up San Juan Hill and built the Panama Canal, battled illness at home, emerging with a voracious love for nature and history that defined his bully pulpit. And don't overlook inventors like Thomas Edison, yanked from school for "addling," only to illuminate the world under his mother's wing. These weren't exceptions; they were echoes of homeschooling's power to kindle unquenchable fire.
Yet today, that fire flickers under threat. Colleges demand extra hurdles—transcripts dissected, tests retaken—treating homeschool diplomas as suspect. Federal aid dangles just out of reach, misinterpreted by the very laws meant to help. H.R. 6392 changes this by replacing an outdated title in the Federal Code that colleges might use to mislabel homeschooled students, and it incorporates a clear definition affirming homeschooled graduates as legitimate. It declares equality, not exception, leveling the field so these 3.7 million innovators aren't sidelined.
The stakes? Our children's futures—and America's. These homeschooled trailblazers are the assets of national security: Think Jefferson's diplomats negotiating peace, Lincoln's strategists holding the line, Roosevelt's visionaries expanding horizons. Unfettered, they'll code the next generation of defense networks, pioneer sustainable energy, and lead with moral clarity in a fractured world. Bottlenecked by bias, we squander that edge. The failed public model—stagnant scores, empty seats—signals crisis; homeschooling's rise is the clarion call to reclaim excellence.
Congress, the hourglass runs low. Pass H.R. 6392 now. Send it to President Trump's desk for the signature it cries for. For in freeing these young eagles, we lift a nation—securing not just success, but the soul of tomorrow. The children wait; must we keep them in chains?
U.S. Representative Mark Harris (R-NC) serves North Carolina's 8th District and is the lead sponsor of H.R. 6392, the Home School Graduation Recognition Act.
Allen Mashburn is a Human Events contributor and a homeschool dad for nearly twenty years.
