Veritas Scholars Academy in Alabama
Online School in Alabama
If you’re comparing online schools in Alabama, you’re asking important questions about your child’s mind, faith, and future. Veritas Scholars Academy gives Alabama families live classes with expert teachers and fellow students, a classical Christian education from kindergarten through 12th grade, and an accredited diploma, all from home.
- Accredited by Middle States
- Live classes, grades 3-12
- Every class recorded
- Classical and Christian
- Christian worldview in every class
- Enroll year-round
On This Page
Classical Christian Education, From Huntsville to Mobile
Alabama has one of the strongest homeschool communities in the South, and many families here have taught at home for years. Some come to VSA wanting expert help as the subjects get harder. Others are leaving a school that’s no longer the right fit. Either way, you want an education that forms your child’s mind and faith together.
Veritas Press has helped families teach classically for more than 30 years, and Veritas Scholars Academy brings that education into a live online classroom. Students walk through history in order, beginning with Creation, read the great books, learn Latin, and grow in their ability to think, reason, and speak well. Every class is taught from a Christian worldview, by teachers who know their students by name.
Families choose how much VSA to bring home:
- Full-Time Diploma Program. A full course load with VSA, a personal Academic Advisor, and an accredited diploma and transcript at graduation.
- Part-Time live classes. Many Alabama homeschool families keep teaching most subjects and add a few live courses, often Omnibus, Latin, or upper-level math and science.
How VSA Works Under Alabama Law
Alabama’s options can sound unfamiliar if you’re new to homeschooling, and it’s natural to wonder which one is right. The good news is that the most common path is simple. Alabama requires children ages 6 to 17 to attend a public school, a private or church school, or receive instruction from a certified private tutor (Ala. Code §16-28-3).
The Most Common Path
Enroll in a Church School
- Enroll your child in a church school, often called a cover school, run by a local church or ministry.
- The church school reports your child’s enrollment and attendance to the local superintendent.
- Follow the church school’s own requirements, such as attendance records.
- VSA courses can make up part or all of your child’s studies.
Alabama doesn’t require state testing for church school students, and many Alabama churches run cover schools for homeschool families.
Other Options
A Private Tutor or Private School
Families can also use a private tutor certified by the state, who teaches at least three hours a day for 140 days a year and files a statement with the local superintendent before starting.
How a full-time VSA student fits these categories can depend on how you enroll, and your Family Consultant will walk you through it before you start.
Leaving an Alabama public school? Enroll with your cover school first, so it can report your child’s enrollment, then withdraw. Talk with a Family Consultant so your paperwork and VSA start date line up. How switching to VSA works
Wondering how other states treat VSA students? Is My Student Considered a Homeschooler When in the Diploma Program?
A Diploma That Opens Doors
Alabama homeschool graduates usually receive a diploma from their church school or their parents. That’s a perfectly legal path, and many college-bound families still prefer an accredited diploma and transcript. It’s one of the most common reasons Alabama families choose VSA’s Diploma Program.
An Accredited Diploma
Full-Time Diploma students graduate with a diploma and official transcript from a school accredited by the Middle States Association since 2014. Honors, AP, and dual enrollment courses appear on the transcript with a weighted GPA.
Ready for College
VSA graduates have gone on to schools such as Harvard, Hillsdale, Wheaton, Grove City, and New Saint Andrews, and to the U.S. service academies. Your child’s Academic Advisor helps plan a course of study with their college goals in mind.
College Credit and NCAA
Eligible high school students can earn college credit through our dual enrollment partnership with Cairn University. VSA courses are also NCAA-approved (high school code 392122).
What VSA Costs for an Alabama Family
VSA tuition is priced by the course: a live Secondary course is $829 for the year, and a live Grammar course is $729. Full-Time Diploma students add a yearly enrollment fee for advising, records, and transcripts. Here are typical yearly totals.
| Plan | Yearly tuition | Paid in full | Monthly plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-Time Grammar3 live courses + 3 You Teach Diploma courses + Premium Diploma enrollment | $2,786 | $2,711 | $884 at registration, then 9 payments of about $211.33 April 1 through December 1 |
| Full-Time Secondary5 live courses + 1 lab science + Premium Diploma enrollment | $5,828 | $5,678 | $1,299 at registration, then 9 payments of about $503.22 April 1 through December 1 |
| Part-Time2 live courses | $1,658 | $1,608 | $190 at registration, then 9 payments of about $163.11 April 1 through December 1 |
Families can pay in full and save on each course, or spread tuition across monthly payments with no interest. VSA scholarships are available, too. Learn about financial aid
The CHOOSE Act
Alabama’s Education Savings Accounts
Alabama’s CHOOSE Act provides up to $7,000 a year for private school students and up to $2,000 for home education students (with a $4,000 family cap), managed through ClassWallet. Starting in 2027-28, the income limit goes away, so every Alabama K-12 student can apply. Applications open each year in early spring through the Alabama Department of Revenue.
Funds go only to approved providers, so ask a Family Consultant whether the Veritas program you’re considering qualifies before you apply.
A Common Question
“Is Online School in Alabama Free?”
VSA is a private school, so there is tuition. For the value of that tuition, families receive a classical education taught from a Christian worldview, live classes with teachers who know their students by name, and an accredited diploma.
And because VSA is priced by the course, many families find it costs well under the national average for private school tuition.
What a Week Looks Like for Alabama Students
Online school can be hard to picture until you see it. Here’s what a typical week looks like.
Live Classes, Twice a Week
Each live course meets twice a week at a set time, with the same teacher and up to 20 classmates all year. Students raise their hands, answer questions, and discuss ideas together.
Never Behind
Every class is recorded. If a storm knocks out the power or a family trip gets in the way, your child watches the recording and stays on track.
Between classes, much of the work happens with books, paper, and pencil. Younger students sing their way through history and chant their Latin vocabulary. Older students read Homer and Augustine, work through formal logic, and learn to write and defend arguments of their own, the classical stages Dorothy Sayers described in “The Lost Tools of Learning” (1947).
Rigorous, and Never Alone
Parents sometimes wonder whether a classical school will be too much for their child. It’s a fair question. VSA is rigorous, and the first months can stretch a student. Teachers, Academic Advisors, and Family Consultants work together to find the right challenge for each child, and every live class comes with real classmates working through the same books. Clubs, field trips, and our End-of-Year Gathering bring students together outside class, too.
My son graduated from Veritas last year. He now attends the United States Air Force Academy. His first year at VSA was difficult, but the skills and tools he learned throughout his time there are paying dividends at the Academy.
Michaela R., Veritas parent
Getting Started, One Step at a Time
Talk With a Family Consultant
Tell us about your child and your goals. A Family Consultant replies within 24 hours and can walk you through Alabama’s options alongside your course plan.
Apply and Find the Right Placement
We review your child’s records, and we may ask for a short placement test so your child starts in the right courses.
Enroll With a Cover School
If you’re homeschooling, enroll your child in a church school so it can report enrollment and attendance to your local superintendent.
Build Your Child’s Plan
Full-Time students meet with an Academic Advisor to plan their courses and register for classes.
Questions Alabama Families Ask
Is online school free in Alabama?
Alabama has tuition-free public virtual schools, which follow state standards and teach from a secular perspective. VSA is a private school with tuition, priced by the course, and offers a classical Christian education with live teachers and an accredited diploma. See what VSA costs.
Does Alabama pay for homeschooling?
Through the CHOOSE Act, Alabama’s education savings account program, home education students can receive up to $2,000 a year (with a family cap of $4,000), and private school students up to $7,000. Starting in 2027-28, the program’s income limit goes away, so every Alabama K-12 student can apply. Applications open each year in early spring through the Alabama Department of Revenue.
Can I use the CHOOSE Act at VSA?
CHOOSE Act funds go through ClassWallet to approved education service providers. Whether a particular Veritas program qualifies depends on the program’s provider rules, so we recommend asking a Family Consultant before you apply.
How much does online school cost in Alabama?
It depends on the school and your child’s plan. At VSA, you pay for each live course, plus a yearly enrollment fee for Full-Time Diploma students. Our tuition calculator shows your real yearly number in a few minutes. Build your child’s plan.
What are Alabama’s homeschool laws?
Most Alabama homeschool families enroll in a church school, often called a cover school, which files enrollment and attendance with the local superintendent. Families can also use a certified private tutor, who teaches at least three hours a day for 140 days a year. Alabama doesn’t require standardized testing for church school students.
Is VSA accredited?
Yes. VSA is accredited by the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), and our accreditation applies to students wherever they live, including Alabama. How accreditation works at VSA.
What time are classes in Alabama?
Class times are listed in Eastern Time, which is one hour ahead of most of Alabama all year. A class listed at 10:00 a.m. starts at 9:00 a.m. in Alabama. Courses are usually offered at several times, so families can choose what fits.
Can my child start in the middle of the year?
Yes. VSA welcomes new students throughout the year. Students can join classes in progress, catch up with recorded lessons, and work with their teachers on any makeup work. How switching works.
Let’s Build Your Alabama School Plan Together
A Family Consultant would love to hear your child’s story, walk you through Alabama’s options, and help you find the right next step, whether that’s next month or next fall.
Keep Exploring
More About VSA
Start Any Time
Switching Schools
How families move to VSA mid-year or next fall, from first call to first class.
See how switching works
Real Numbers
Tuition
Build your child’s plan and see a real yearly cost in a few minutes.
Build your plan
Also helpful: Elementary · Middle School · High School · Diploma Program · ESAs and School Choice