NEBRASKA
Homeschooling in Nebraska: Requirements, Paperwork, and How to Start
Elect exempt-school status with two forms filed by July 15 — and since a 2024 change, only one parent need sign. No testing, no credential, and no reporting after that.
Homeschooling in Nebraska, Summarized
The Six Things Nebraska Asks of You
Legal in Nebraska
Yes
as an exempt school
Compulsory ages
6 to 18
Do I notify anyone?
Yes — two forms, each July
by July 15
Paperwork load
Low
records kept, not filed
Parent qualification
None required
a criminal-history condition applies
Standardized testing
Not required
Legal requirements last reviewed: June 2026 · Plain English · Not legal advice
Homeschooling is legal in Nebraska
What You Need to Know
Nebraska families elect exempt-school status rather than registering a home school. Two forms go in each July: a statement of election and assurances, and a parent representative form giving your dates of operation. A 2024 amendment cut the burden — only one parent or guardian now needs to complete it.
What Nebraska Asks of You
Two forms each July, and records kept at home.
Must do
File the statement of election and assurances — one parent or guardian now suffices
Choose one of the two statutory grounds for the election on that form
File the parent representative form giving your dates of operation
Provide the required student information to the Department on first enrollment
Provide 1,032 hours a year at elementary level, 1,080 at secondary, and keep the record
Dates that matter
July 15 each school year, for renewals
Within 30 days of your initial filing, in a first year
Promptly, if a student aged 16 or 17 withdraws before completing the program
Good practice — not required
Diarise 15 July: it is a summer deadline and easy to lose in a holiday
Keep your instruction records current — they are available to the Department on request
No teaching certification is required, though anyone instructing is subject to a criminal-history condition. A 2026 amendment adds a fourteen-day delay during an active investigation.
Nebraska wants evidence of a sequential program, available on request. StudyPug builds it while your child works.
Funding for Nebraska Home Education
The short answer, before the detail.
Nebraska provides no direct funding to homeschooling families.
There is no education savings account, voucher, tax credit or reimbursement. Electing exempt-school status costs nothing, but it grants nothing financially either — materials are paid for by the family.
To your family
$0 — no state funding
To apply for
Exempt status, not money
Cost to file
Nothing — the forms are free
What StudyPug Handles for You
Not templates you fill in — records that fill themselves in.
Work-samples portfolio that assembles itself
Hours & attendance log that fills itself in
Progress reports you can download and share
Scope & Sequence evidencing a sequential program of instruction
One-click records package if the Department ever asks
Every child in one account — up to 5
Questions About Homeschooling in Nebraska
Quick answers for homeschooling families.
Is homeschooling legal in Nebraska?
Yes, by electing exempt-school status under § 79-1601 and the associated rules. You are not registering a home school so much as electing an exemption from the state's accreditation and approval requirements.
Do parents need a teaching certificate?
No teaching certification is required. There is a separate condition: anyone monitoring or providing instruction is subject to a criminal-history requirement, which is a disqualifier rather than a qualification.
Does Nebraska fund homeschooling?
No. There is no education savings account, voucher, tax credit or reimbursement for homeschooling families in Nebraska. Electing exempt status is free but carries no money with it.
What are the two forms?
A statement of election and assurances, on which you select one of two statutory grounds for the election; and a parent representative form giving the dates your school will operate. Both go in by July 15 for a renewal.
Has the filing requirement changed?
Yes, and in your favor. Under a 2024 amendment only one parent, legal guardian or educational decisionmaker needs to complete the election — previously each had to. It is a real reduction in the paperwork.
What records should I keep, and for how long?
Records sufficient to show you meet the sequential program of instruction requirement. They are kept rather than filed, and made available to the Department on request. No retention period is set.
What happens if a teenager stops before finishing?
There is a reporting obligation. If a student aged 16 or 17 is withdrawn from the exempt school before completing the program, that must be reported promptly. It is the one event-driven filing in an otherwise annual cycle.
Official Sources
Confirm the rules and apply directly with your state.
Nebraska Exempt Schools
→The Department's page — both forms and the July deadline.
education.ne.gov — Exempt Schools
Nebraska Revised Statute § 79-1601
→The exemption itself and its two statutory grounds.
nebraskalegislature.gov — § 79-1601
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-201
→Compulsory attendance, and the exemption the rule rests on.
nebraskalegislature.gov — § 79-201
Other States:
Homeschooling in Nevada·Homeschooling in New Hampshire·Homeschooling in New Jersey— each reviewed against its own official sources
See How Families Run Their Homeschool on StudyPug
Lessons, practice, and the records above — one family plan.
30-day money-back guarantee
StudyPug is a records tool, not legal advice. Homeschool rules, funding amounts, and deadlines change at least yearly — always confirm with the official sources above before you act. Requirements can also differ at the school-board or district level, so check with your local board or district too. We review every jurisdiction page and show you the date we last checked it; each requirement in your dashboard carries its own source and last-verified date.
Reviewed by the StudyPug curriculum team
3M+
students
92%
improve grades
30-day
money-back guarantee
Trusted
by US homeschool families