Several accredited colleges, such as the University of Nebraska, University of Texas, University of Missouri, Indiana University and Portland State University, offer dedicated high school programs that accommodate independent students. Launched in 1929, the University of Nebraska's Independent Study High School serves students in more than 135 nations as well as the 50 U.S. states. As a longstanding distance education provider, the University of Nebraska now uses the Internet to manage their curriculum. Students can take courses as units of study and access reading assignments, projects, exercises, tests and evaluations through the college's "WayCool" web-based course management system. Operated by the Indiana University School of Continuing Studies, the Indiana University High School provides courses online or via print correspondence to about 2,000 students located in 35 nations and throughout the U.S. In 1998, the Texas State Board of Education authorized the University of Texas to offer high school courses and also award diplomas. As mandated, UT High School's curriculum consists of 48 courses, including math, English, science, social studies, economics and foreign languages.
Some universities administer extension programs for distance learners, and provide accredited courses for high school students. For example, the University of California, Berkeley Extension offers concurrent enrollment to qualified high school students on a space-available basis. High school students can concentrate their studies in particular subject areas as well as earn credits. Other university extension programs offering high school level courses include University of Iowa's Guided Correspondence Study courses, University of Wisconsin Independent Learning and Texas Tech Extended Studies. All of these programs administer websites where you can peruse course offerings, admission and enrollment requirements and the cost of matriculation.
Some prestigious universities offer distanced-learning courses for gifted students who can benefit from an advanced curriculum as well as an accelerated learning pace. Among these well known programs are Stanford University's Education Program for Gifted Youth, Johns Hopkins University's Center for Talented Youth, Northwestern University's Center for Talent Development and Duke University's Talent Identification Program. Students typically qualify for these programs via portfolio or high achievement scores on admissions, SAT or ACT tests. While the Stanford and Northwestern programs are geared towards children in kindergarten up to high school seniors, Duke's "e-Studies" program targets students from grades 8 to 12.
Check your local community college for courses available to home-schoolers. Community colleges offer courses available for credit that often can be transferred to other institutions of higher learning. For example, Heartland Community College in Normal, Illinois offers courses for home-schooled students in science and art. Students over the age of 16 are also qualified to take college courses.