Nebraska homeschool law

This is general information, not legal advice; check your state's own page. Laws change, and Nebraska's own statute and education department are the final word. The links below go straight to them.

Checked on October 27, 2026 against the sources linked on this page.

• This year's checklist
• Withdrawing from school

Who must attend school

A child must attend a public, private, denominational or parochial day school, or an exempt school, if the child will reach six years of age before January 1 of the school year and has not reached eighteen (Neb. Rev. Stat. 79-201). The department says a filing is required for a child age 7 up to age 18. Source: Neb. Rev. Stat. 79-201 Compulsory education (Nebraska Legislature)

Education savings accounts and vouchers

No program foundWe did not find a state-funded education savings account or voucher open to homeschool families. The Nebraska Department of Education says there is no funding available through the department for exempt schools, and we found no K-12 scholarship program in chapters 77 and 79 of the Nebraska statutes (checked 2026-10-27). Check the department's pages for changes. Source: Nebraska Department of Education: Exempt (Home) School FAQs 2026/27

What to do first

1. Read Nebraska's own pages, linked under each row below, so you know what applies to your situation.
2. Notice: July 15 of each year the school will operate To: Nebraska Department of Education, Exempt School Program Office (Commissioner of Education).
3. If your child is in school now: Instruction can begin after the department receives the filing. A child leaving an approved school mid-year can be filed mid-year, with instruction hours prorated. If a child age 16 or 17 stops attending the exempt school, the parent files a withdrawal form with the Commissioner of Education promptly.
4. Plan the year around the days or hours and the subjects below.
5. Start your records on day one: a simple attendance log, a list of books read and a work sample or two for each subject.

The state's own form or page: education.ne.gov/fos/exempt-schools/

Other legal routes in Nebraska

• Approved or accredited private school. A child can attend a private, denominational or parochial school that meets the state's accreditation or approval requirements. Only schools that elect not to meet those requirements are exempt schools, and they file under section 79-1601.

Records to keep

The department's guidance says it does not collect grades or require progress reports. It advises keeping attendance data and a transcript of classes with grades for each child. The school must report attendance as the attendance law requires. Keep a record of immunizations if they apply (they need not be sent to the department). Whatever the law asks, many families also keep a simple attendance log, a list of books read and a few work samples for each subject; they cost nothing and help if you move or return to school.

Good to know

• Who may teach: instructors at an exempt school do not need teacher certification. They must not have been convicted of the felony offenses listed in section 79-1601(5)(b), a rule that took effect July 18, 2026.
• Immunization: the immunization requirements of section 79-217 apply to children at an exempt school unless the family's Statement of Election gives religious reasons.
• Law change, 2026: Laws 2026, LB937 (effective July 18, 2026) added section 28-711.01. While a child abuse or neglect investigation involving a parent is active, the state tells the district and the Commissioner not to allow the child to be transferred or disenrolled for fourteen days or until further notice, and a new exempt school election filed for that child is invalid during that time.
• Law change, 2024: LB1027 changed the election. A parent now may elect on religious grounds or because the accreditation and approval requirements interfere with the parent's decisions in directing the child's education. The department says Rule 13 was revised (effective 2026-06-28) and we could not read the new rule text, so the hours come from the department's 2026/27 guidance.
• Part-time classes: each public school district is to allow part-time enrollment of resident students who attend an exempt school (Section 79-2,136). High school sports are set by the Nebraska School Activities Association bylaws.
• Special education: the department tells families to contact the resident public school about services their child may still be eligible for if homeschooled.

Where this comes from

• Neb. Rev. Stat. 79-201 Compulsory education (Nebraska Legislature) (the law)
• Neb. Rev. Stat. 79-1601 Private schools; election not to meet accreditation or approval requirements (Nebraska Legislature) (the law)
• Nebraska Department of Education: Exempt School [Home School] Program (state education department)
• Nebraska Department of Education: Exempt (Home) School FAQs 2026/27 (state education department)
• Nebraska Department of Education: 2026/27 Instructions and Forms packet (state education department)

Checked on October 27, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice; check your state's own page, and confirm with your school district or the department before you rely on a date. Something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.