H.R. 6392 would amend the definition of a high school graduate in the Higher Education of 1965 to clarify that students who complete their secondary education in a homeschool setting recognized under state law should be treated as high school graduates for purposes of eligibility for federal student aid. Those aid programs include federal student loans, which are classified as direct spending, and Pell grants, which are funded with a combination of direct spending and appropriated funds.
Under current law, homeschooled students who meet state requirements are already eligible for Title IV aid. However, based on information from organizations knowledgeable about homeschooling, a small number of post-secondary schools may require such students to meet additional requirements or provide additional information for admission or receipt of federal aid. Because the new definition would not expand eligibility for aid, CBO estimates that the number of students affected would be small and that enacting H.R. 6392 would not significantly affect direct spending or spending subject to appropriation for federal student aid.
Based on the cost of similar activities, CBO estimates that the cost to the Department of Education to implement H.R. 6392 would be insignificant; any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Garrett Quenneville. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
