Homeschool Sports Eligibility in Michigan
Only if your district allows it. Michigan has no law giving homeschoolers a right to public school sports, and the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) ties eligibility to taking most of a full course load at the school.
How homeschool participation works
Each local board of education controls interscholastic athletics in its district. MHSAA rules are minimum standards: a school may adopt higher standards or deny eligibility where MHSAA rules permit, and local rules that go beyond the MHSAA minimums prevail.
The MHSAA's guide to nontraditional schools and students describes three options for home-based students, each available only if local school policy allows it.
- A homeschool group sponsors and runs its own athletic program and competes against other schools, except in football against MHSAA member high schools.
- A student enrolled in a homeschool that sponsors no teams plays for a high school where the student carries most of a full course load, as set out below.
- A student enrolled at a high school takes some courses at home and stays eligible there, as long as enough credits post on the high school transcript.
Rules that decide participation
Local policy
The district decides, and nothing in state law requires it to accept a homeschooler.
Course load at the school
Under MHSAA's minimum, your child passes at least 66 percent of a full-time student's credit load at the high school being represented, usually four or five full subjects.
Progress reports
Your homeschool and the high school agree on how academic progress is reported. Reports must come at least every 10 weeks.
Before the season
First step
Ask your district's athletic director in writing whether board policy admits homeschooled students to its teams and how many courses your child would need to take there.
What can rule a player out
Taking one or two elective classes through shared time does not by itself meet the MHSAA course load minimum.
When to start
Raise the question in the spring or summer before the school year, because course enrollment has to be in place before the season's first eligibility report.
School that fits around the season
Lessons start at your child's level and go wherever practice and travel do. We grade the work as it is submitted and keep the grades and transcript a school or league may ask to see.
$149/month per child after the trial.