Quick answer: An online private school is an independent school that teaches students over the internet and issues its own grades, transcripts and diploma, with families paying tuition. It differs from an online public school, which is state funded, and from independent homeschooling, where the parent keeps the records. To check any school’s accreditation, search for it in the accrediting organization’s own directory, as the checklist below shows.
Parents who search for a private online school usually want to know three things: what they are enrolling in, whether the school is what it says it is, and what they will pay for. This guide covers each one and gives you a checklist and a list of questions to use with any school, including ours.
What is an online private school?
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A private online school is a school that is not part of a public school district and teaches its courses online. It sets its own admissions rules, calendar, grading scale and graduation requirements. It enrolls the student, keeps the student’s record, and issues report cards, an official transcript and, in grades 9 to 12, a diploma.
The terms overlap, so a few definitions help:
- Online private high school means the same model for grades 9 to 12, with credits, a graduation plan and a diploma.
- K-12 private academy is a general term for a private school that covers kindergarten through grade 12. A school can be a K-12 private academy and also teach online.
- Self-paced means the student works through courses on their own schedule. Some online private schools are self-paced and some run live classes at set times. Ask which one a school offers.
Online private school vs online public school vs independent homeschooling
These three look alike from the kitchen table, since the child studies at home on a computer. They differ in who the student is enrolled with, who keeps the record, and who pays. The table shows the usual pattern. Details vary by state and by school, so confirm each point with the school you are considering.
| Question | Online private school | Online public school | Independent homeschool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal status of the student | Enrolled in a private school. The school follows its state’s rules for private schools, and these differ from state to state. | Enrolled in a public school, usually through a district, charter or state program. | Homeschooled under the state’s homeschool law. The parent is the administrator. |
| Who issues the transcript and diploma | The school. | The public school or district. | The parent, unless the family also enrolls in a school that does. |
| Calendar | Set by the school. Some follow a school year with terms, and some use self-paced courses with rolling enrollment. | Usually follows a school-year calendar with set terms and state testing dates. | Set by the family within the state’s requirements. |
| Admissions | The school reviews an application and previous records. | Based on residency in the state or district served. | No admission. Some states ask for a notice of intent. |
| Tuition | Families pay tuition and fees to the school. Some states have scholarship or education savings programs, so ask. | No tuition to families. | Families buy their own materials and activities. |
| Who teaches and grades | The school’s teachers. | The program’s teachers. | The parent, or tutors and courses the parent selects. |
State rules for each of these differ. The HSLDA state pages and your state department of education explain how your state treats homeschooling and private schools.
What accreditation means
Accreditation is a review of a whole school by an outside organization. The school writes a self-study, a review team checks it against published standards, and the accreditor lists the school as accredited for a set period. The school then repeats the process to stay accredited.
Accreditation of K-12 schools is voluntary, and private associations run it. According to the U.S. Department of Education’s page on state regulation of private and home schools, the Department recognizes accrediting agencies for colleges and universities, but not for elementary and secondary schools. In practice, the useful question is: who accredits this school, and does that accreditor list the school in its own directory?
Three details make the answer more useful:
- Name the accreditor. A page that says “fully accredited” with no organization named gives you nothing to check.
- Check the scope. Accreditation can cover a school, a program or a single course. You want the school.
- Check the status. Look for the current status and the school’s exact name and address in the directory.
Verify it yourself: the checklist
You do not need to take any school’s word on accreditation, ours included. Use this checklist.
- Find the accreditor’s name on the school’s accreditation page. Write down every accreditor the school lists.
- Open that accreditor’s own website, using the links below, not a link supplied by the school.
- Search the accreditor’s directory for the school’s exact name. Try the city or state if the name returns no result.
- Confirm the name, address, grade levels and accreditation status match what the school told you.
- If a directory has no search tool or returns no result, email or call the accreditor and ask them to confirm the school’s status.
- Ask the school for its accreditation certificate and the dates it covers.
- Ask the colleges, athletic associations or schools your child may apply to what they require. Their answers matter more than any logo on a website.
Accreditor directories for the accreditors Forest Trail Academy lists
Forest Trail Academy lists the following organizations on its accreditation page. Each link below goes to that organization’s own lookup.
| Accreditor | Where to look a school up |
|---|---|
| Cognia | Cognia accredited institution registry |
| Middle States Association Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS) | MSA-CESS accredited member directory |
| Accreditation International (Ai) | Ai Schools page, which sends you to the NCPSA directory and tells you to select Ai in the “Accredited By” field |
| National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA) | NCPSA Directory of Accredited Schools, the directory Ai names; the council’s own site is ncpsa.org |
The same steps work for any other school: find the accreditor, open the accreditor’s site, search the directory.
How credits transfer in and out
Credit transfer works in two directions, and the school receiving the credit decides.
Transferring in. The new school reviews the transcript from your child’s previous school, often with course descriptions, and decides which credits to accept. Schools usually set a minimum number of credits a student must earn with them to receive their diploma. Forest Trail Academy, for example, asks students to complete at least 25% of graduation credits with the school, as stated on its General Diploma (21 credits) and College Prep Diploma (24 credits) pages. Its transferred credits policy says the school decides which outside credits it accepts.
Transferring out. Another school, college or program decides whether it accepts your child’s credits. Accreditation helps, since many schools look at where credit was earned, but it is not a guarantee. Keep course descriptions, syllabi and final grade reports, and ask how to request official transcripts and what they cost.
Questions to ask before enrolling:
- What records do you need to evaluate my child’s credits, and who decides?
- How many credits must my child earn with you to graduate?
- How do I order an official transcript, and is there a fee?
- Can my child retake or replace a course?
Choosing an online private high school: what changes in grades 9 to 12
In high school the school’s records carry more weight. Credits, a graduation plan, a transcript and a diploma all come from the school, so these items need attention:
- Diploma options and credit totals. Ask for the graduation requirements in writing, including the number of credits and required subjects.
- College counseling. Ask who helps plan courses, who sends transcripts, and who answers college application questions.
- College-level courses. If your child wants AP or dual enrollment, ask which grades can take them and how they are graded.
- Athletics. A student who may play college sports should check that the school’s courses appear on the NCAA Eligibility Center high school portal before enrolling. Approval is school by school and course by course.
What to ask about teachers, pacing, grading and counseling
Teachers
- Are teachers certified, and in which subjects?
- Can I see their names and credentials?
- How does my child reach a teacher, and how long does a reply usually take?
Pacing
- Is the program self-paced, or are there set class times?
- Can my child start at any point in the year?
- How much time does a student have to finish a course, and what happens if more time is needed?
Grading
- Do teachers or software grade the work?
- Is the grading scale published?
- What is the usual turnaround for returning assignments with feedback?
Counseling
- Who is my child’s point of contact for course planning?
- Is there help with college applications and test registration?
What tuition normally includes
Tuition at an online private school usually covers the courses and learning platform, teacher instruction and grading, and the school’s records. Many schools also include an official transcript and, for seniors, the diploma. Items that are often listed separately include a registration fee, printed books or lab materials, exam fees for AP tests, extra transcript copies, and charges to extend a course.
Ask each school for its complete fee list in writing, and ask about payment plans. Compare totals for the whole year, not only the headline number. Forest Trail Academy posts its tuition, payment options and fee list on its tuition page.
Forest Trail Academy by level
Forest Trail Academy is a private, accredited, secular online school in West Palm Beach, Florida. Courses are self-paced, certified teachers support each student, and families can enroll any week of the year. The school has served more than 10,000 students since 2007. For how enrollment works, see the K-12 online learning page.
- Online elementary school (kindergarten to grade 5). Math, science, English and social studies, with an Adaptive and Prescriptive Learning Program for students who need extra support.
- Online middle school (grades 6 to 8). The core subjects plus electives, with the same Adaptive and Prescriptive Learning Program available.
- Online high school (grades 9 to 12). Core courses and electives toward the General Diploma or the College Prep Diploma. Students in grades 10 to 12 can add AP and dual enrollment courses. A student must be enrolled in the full-time diploma program to earn the diploma.
You can check the school’s accreditors with the directory links above, and you can read where graduates have been accepted on its college and university acceptance list.
Frequently asked questions
What is an online private school?
It is an independent school that teaches students online, charges tuition, and issues its own report cards, transcripts and diploma. It is not part of a public school district.
Is an online private school the same as homeschooling?
No. In an online private school, the student is enrolled in a school that keeps the records and issues the diploma. In independent homeschooling, the parent is the administrator and issues them. Some online private schools also offer homeschool programs where parents teach with the school’s materials.
How do I know if an online private school is accredited?
Find the accreditor’s name on the school’s website, then search for the school in that accreditor’s own directory. The checklist above gives the steps and directory links for the accreditors Forest Trail Academy lists.
Are online private schools accredited?
Many are. Accreditation is voluntary for K-12 schools, so check each school individually.
What is a K-12 private academy?
It is a private school that serves students from kindergarten through grade 12. If you are comparing named programs, check whether each one is a private school or a public school program, since they differ in tuition, calendar and who issues the diploma.
Do colleges accept diplomas from an online private high school?
Colleges review the transcript, course descriptions, test scores where required, and the application. A transcript from a school with a verifiable accreditation is easy for an admissions office to evaluate. Ask the colleges your child is considering what they require.
Can my child switch to an online private school during the school year?
Many schools accept students during the year. Ask whether the school uses fixed start dates or rolling enrollment, and how it will review the credits already earned.
Want to go through this checklist with a school’s admissions team? Book a call with admissions.
