Homeschool benefits and savings in Hampton

Hampton City Schools (HCS) opens its Advanced Placement (AP), PSAT/NMSQT, and PreACT exams to home-instructed students as well as enrolled ones, so your child can test at a Hampton high school. Families who file a Notice of Intent register through the HCS exam information and confirm time and place with their base school's counseling department.

By Andrew Garber, founder of TheHomeschoolingCompany. Reviewed August 25, 2026.

Hampton City Schools home-instruction AP and test access

Who qualifies

1. Files a Notice of Intent

   Your child is a home-instructed student in Hampton once you file the yearly Notice of Intent with the Home Instruction Office by August 15.

2. Registers for the exam

   HCS posts registration information and deadlines in its Home Instruction Exam Information for AP and other tests.

3. Checks with the base school

   Contact the counseling department at the high school serving your address to confirm the testing location, time, and seat availability.

What testing is open

The terms come from the testing section of Hampton City Schools' home instruction page.

Advanced Placement (AP) exams

Open

PSAT/NMSQT

Open

PreACT

Open

Virginia SOL tests

Not required

Fee waivers

Through College Board or ACT

HCS does not list exam fees on the page; ask the base school counseling department what you pay and whether a College Board or ACT fee waiver applies.

How to sign up for a test

1. By August 15

   File the Notice of Intent

   Send the notice, proof of parent qualification, and a list of subjects to homeschool@hampton.k12.va.us or 1 Franklin Street.

2. Before the registration deadline

   Register for the test

   Use the Home Instruction Exam Information for AP registration steps and dates.

3. Before test day

   Confirm with the base school

   Ask your base school's counseling department where and when your child tests and whether a seat is open.

4. By August 1

   Use scores as evidence

   A test score such as the SAT can serve as your yearly evidence of progress, which is due August 1 after the school year.

What it includes

Included

• AP exams
• PSAT/NMSQT
• PreACT

Not included

• Required SOL testing
• Fee waivers from HCS itself

Who to contact about testing

The Home Instruction Office in the Department of School Social Work answers home instruction questions and can point you to the right counseling office.

homeschool@hampton.k12.va.us 757-727-2440 Home instruction

Hampton City Schools home-instruction part-time courses

Who qualifies

1. Files a Notice of Intent

   Submit the Notice of Intent each year by August 15, with proof of one of the four parent qualifications and a list of subjects for the year.

2. Is home instructed, not exempt

   The route is for students under Virginia's home instruction statute. Children taught by a tutor under section 22.1-254 or excused by religious exemption are not eligible.

3. A seat is available

   Part-time enrollment is offered on a space-available basis, and the school principal must approve it.

What you can take

The terms come from the part-time enrollment section of Hampton City Schools' home instruction page.

Core subjects

Math, science, English, history

Other subjects

Social science, vocational, fine arts, foreign language, health, PE

Online courses

When available

Seats

Space available

Varsity sports and other activities

Not included

The page does not list grade levels, a course limit, tuition, or transportation, so ask your assigned school about each before you plan a schedule around a class.

From filing to taking a class

1. By August 15

   File the Notice of Intent

   Send it to the Home Instruction Office by email, mail, or hand delivery to 1 Franklin Street. Families who start mid-year notify HCS as soon as practicable and finish within 30 days.

2. Before the term

   Ask your assigned school

   Request the course from your assigned school, which checks for space and gets the principal's approval.

3. During the course

   Attend as a part-time student

   Your child takes the approved course or courses while you keep home instruction for everything else.

4. By August 1

   Send evidence of progress

   Submit evidence of progress for the year just finished, then file a new Notice of Intent for the next year.

What it includes

Included

• Single courses or part-time enrollment
• Academic, vocational, arts, and physical education courses
• Online courses when available

Not included

• Extracurricular activities
• Varsity sports governed by VHSL
• Religious-exemption students
• Tutored students under section 22.1-254

Who to contact about part-time courses

The Home Instruction Office in the Department of School Social Work handles Notices of Intent and home instruction questions.

homeschool@hampton.k12.va.us 757-727-2440 Home instruction

Homeschool rules and statewide help in Virginia

You must file the annual notice of intent by August 15. If you move into a Virginia division or begin after the school year starts, notify the division as soon as practicable and complete the filing within 30 days of the notice.

Virginia sets these rules:

• Subjects: Provide a curriculum and include a list of the coming year’s subjects with the annual notice. The home-instruction statute does not require the public-school curriculum.
• Testing: Submit evidence of progress by August 1 after the school year. Children under six on September 30 of that school year are exempt from this assessment requirement.
• Records: Submit the annual notice, subject list, proof of a qualifying route, and required evidence of progress. Keep copies; no routine portfolio or attendance-log filing is required.
• Teachers: Qualify through a high-school diploma, Board-prescribed teaching qualifications, providing a curriculum or program of study, or evidence that you can provide an adequate education.

Read the Virginia homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Virginia

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