S. 3747, Home School Graduation Recognition Act

S. 3747 would amend the definition of a high school graduate in the Higher Education Act 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 S. 3747 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 S. 3747 would be insignificant; any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

On February 13, 2026, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 6392, the Home School Graduation Recognition Act, as reported by the House Committee on Education and Workforce, on February 10, 2026. The two bills and CBO’s estimated budgetary effects are similar. CBO’s estimate for S. 3747 reflects a later assumed enactment date than for H.R. 6392. Thus, CBO estimates that enacting S. 3747 would have no effect on direct spending or spending subject to appropriation in 2026.

The CBO staff contact for this cost estimate is Garrett Quenneville. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.