Albers talks college admissions with other home school families at an Orlando convention.

When students apply to college, their school sends an official transcript that details their academic record, and proves they’ve finished high school.

But what if they went to school in their living room, and their diploma was granted by their parents?

Over the course of a decade, Connie Albers faced this question five times. She taught five children at home, and eventually saw all of them enroll at the University of Central Florida with Bright Futures and other merit-based scholarships.

Each of her students, now in their 20s, had to prove they were capable of handling the rigors of college. She now helps other home schooling parents and their children do the same.

Getting into UCF has gotten tougher over the years. U.S. News and World Report rates it among the country's "more selective" colleges.

Home education students can face extra hurdles, wherever they apply. They don't have a school vouching for their academic credentials, and, Albers said, they sometimes need to demonstrate they're able to function alongside their peers in a structured academic environment.

During a workshop at a recent home education conference in Orlando, Albers told parents those obstacles can be overcome.

Letters of recommendation can help students demonstrate their interpersonal skills. Advanced Placement tests and dual enrollment courses can provide independent verification that students are capable of college-level work. Parents can match their students' course of study with the state's course-code directory, to create transcripts that show how their academic records compare with those of their traditionally educated peers.

"You have to add the color and light, and create the person, so that (college admissions offices) know that they're more than a name and a number," she said. (more…)