Veritas Scholars Academy in California
K-12 Online School for California Families
If you’re comparing online schools in California, you’re asking important questions about your child’s mind, faith, and future. Veritas Scholars Academy offers California 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
- Academic Advisors for Diploma students
- Enroll year-round
On This Page
Classical Christian Education, From San Diego to Sacramento
California families have plenty of school options, but finding one that teaches from a Christian worldview, with real rigor and real teachers, can take a long search. If you’ve been looking for a while, you’re not alone.
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 California homeschool families keep teaching most subjects and add a few live courses where a seasoned teacher and real classmates make the biggest difference.
How VSA Works Under California Law
California’s rules can look complicated from the outside, and many parents worry about missing a step. The good news is that the path for VSA families is well established. California requires children ages 6 to 18 to attend school, and private school instruction is one way to meet that requirement (Education Code §48222).
The Most Common Path
File a Private School Affidavit
The California Department of Education says families enrolled in an out-of-state online school file a Private School Affidavit (Education Code §33190). Your home-based private school becomes the school of record, and VSA serves as its program of study.
- File once a year. The online system opens August 1, and the statutory filing period is October 1 to 15.
- Teach in English the subjects taught in California public schools. A VSA course plan covers them.
- Keep an attendance register and a record of each instructor’s name, address, and qualifications.
Another Option
Enroll Through a Private School Program
Some California families enroll in a private school satellite program (often called a PSP), a California private school that files the affidavit and keeps records for its families. VSA courses can then make up part or all of your child’s studies.
Either way, California doesn’t require state testing for private school students, and your Family Consultant can help you decide which path fits your family.
Leaving a California public school? Talk with a Family Consultant before you withdraw, so your affidavit or program enrollment and your child’s 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
College planning in California often starts with the UC and CSU systems and their “A-G” subject requirements. That can feel like a lot to track on your own, and it’s one of the main reasons California families choose VSA’s Diploma Program and an Academic Advisor.
An Accredited Diploma
Full-Time Diploma students receive an official transcript and diploma 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.
Planning for UC, CSU, and Beyond
Your child’s Academic Advisor helps plan a high school course of study with their college goals in mind, including UC and CSU subject requirements. VSA graduates have gone on to schools such as Harvard, Hillsdale, Wheaton, Grove City, and New Saint Andrews.
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 a California 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. Learn about financial aid
Scholarships
Help With Tuition
California doesn’t have an education savings account program, and its public charter homeschool funds generally can’t pay for religious instruction. VSA offers its own scholarships each spring, and Family Consultants can walk you through payment plans and every way to make the numbers work.
A Common Question
“Is Online School in California 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 a fraction of private school tuition in California.
What a Week Looks Like for California 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 power outage, a wildfire-smoke day, 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).
Friends Across California, and Across the Country
Parents often worry about friendships most of all, and we understand why. VSA students see the same classmates every week, and real friendships grow from there. Clubs, field trips, and our End-of-Year Gathering bring students together outside class, and your child may find classmates across California and across the country.
Something that happened at VSA that I didn’t expect was that I’d actually make a lot of friends.
Annelise, VSA graduate
I didn’t think you could make friends online, but I’m actually closer to some of my online friends than I am to the ones in real life.
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 California’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.
File Your Affidavit or Join a Program
File a Private School Affidavit with the California Department of Education, or enroll through a private school program that files one for you.
Build Your Child’s Plan
Full-Time students meet with an Academic Advisor to plan their courses and register for classes.
Questions California Families Ask
Is online school free in California?
California has tuition-free public charter and independent study programs, 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.
How much does online school cost in California?
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.
Do I need to file a Private School Affidavit if my child attends VSA?
Yes, or enroll through a private school that files one for you. The California Department of Education says California residents enrolled in an out-of-state online school file a Private School Affidavit. Your home-based private school becomes the school of record, with VSA as its program of study. The online filing system opens August 1, and the statutory filing period is October 1 to 15.
What are California’s homeschool laws?
Families who home-educate usually do it by establishing a home-based private school. That means filing a Private School Affidavit each year, teaching in English the subjects taught in public schools, keeping an attendance register, and keeping a record of each instructor’s name, address, and qualifications. California doesn’t require state testing for private school students.
Can I use charter school homeschool funds at VSA?
California’s charter homeschool programs are public schools funded with public money, and they generally can’t pay for religious instruction. That usually rules out a Christian school like VSA. Families pay tuition directly, and VSA offers its own scholarships each spring.
Will VSA courses count for UC and CSU admissions?
VSA is accredited by the Middle States Association, a regional accreditor, and its transcript shows honors, AP, and dual enrollment courses. California’s public universities set their own subject requirements (the “A-G” courses), so your child’s Academic Advisor can help plan a high school course of study with UC and CSU requirements in mind.
What time are classes in California?
Class times are listed in Eastern Time, which is three hours ahead of California all year. A class listed at 11:00 a.m. starts at 8:00 a.m. in California. 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 California School Plan Together
A Family Consultant would love to hear your child’s story, walk you through how VSA works in California, 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