In the US, states set most of the rules that shape high school and public college: graduation requirements, diploma types, dual enrollment, state scholarships, in-state tuition residency and free community college programs. Federal law covers financial aid and disability protections. To find your state’s rules, start with your school counselor and the state education department, because the details change often.
How to use this hub
Read the explainers below to understand what each rule does and the questions to ask, then confirm the specifics for your state and district. We do not list per-state numbers because they change by legislative session and differ by district.
Rules most states set
- High School Graduation Requirements: credits, required subjects and any tests or other conditions
- Diploma Types and Endorsements: standard and advanced diplomas, endorsements and seals
- Dual Enrollment Explained: who can take college classes in high school and who pays
- State Merit Scholarships: GPA and test requirements and how to keep the award
- In-State Tuition and Residency: how public colleges decide who pays in-state rates
- Free Community College Programs: promise programs, eligibility and what they cover
What is federal instead
The FAFSA and federal grants and loans are federal, explained in financial aid basics. Special education under an IEP and accommodations under Section 504 rest on federal law, though states and districts run them; see the IEP and 504 guide.
Where to find your state’s rules
- Ask the school counselor for the graduation checklist and diploma options.
- Check the state education department website for graduation and dual enrollment policy.
- Check the state higher education or student aid agency for scholarships and promise programs.
- Ask each public college’s admissions or financial aid office about residency.
- Save what you find with the date, since rules change.
Moving between states
A move can change graduation credits, testing requirements and scholarship eligibility, and in-state tuition usually requires living in the state for a period first, often about a year. Ask the new school how it will evaluate transferred credits before enrolling.
- Military Kids Changing Schools: the interstate compact covers enrollment, placement, eligibility and graduation
- Switching Schools Mid-Year: moving records and credits mid-year
- Moving Back to the US With a Teenager: placement after time abroad
- The High School Transcript Explained: what moves with the student
Online mentoring by state
Each state page explains how video mentoring works there, with sessions scheduled in the family’s local time zone. Graduation requirements, dual enrollment and state scholarships are set in each state, so pair the state page with the explainers above. All states are also listed on the mentoring by state page.
Northeast (Eastern time)
- Connecticut: sessions in Eastern time
- Maine: sessions in Eastern time
- Massachusetts: sessions in Eastern time
- New Hampshire: sessions in Eastern time
- New Jersey: sessions in Eastern time
- New York: sessions in Eastern time
- Pennsylvania: sessions in Eastern time
- Rhode Island: sessions in Eastern time
- Vermont: sessions in Eastern time
Midwest (Central and Eastern time)
- Illinois: sessions in Central time
- Indiana: sessions mostly in Eastern time
- Iowa: sessions in Central time
- Kansas: sessions mostly in Central time
- Michigan: sessions mostly in Eastern time
- Minnesota: sessions in Central time
- Missouri: sessions in Central time
- Nebraska: sessions in Central and Mountain time
- North Dakota: sessions mostly in Central time
- Ohio: sessions in Eastern time
- South Dakota: sessions in Central and Mountain time
- Wisconsin: sessions in Central time
South (Eastern and Central time)
- Alabama: sessions in Central time
- Arkansas: sessions in Central time
- Delaware: sessions in Eastern time
- Florida: sessions mostly in Eastern time
- Georgia: sessions in Eastern time
- Kentucky: sessions in Eastern and Central time
- Louisiana: sessions in Central time
- Maryland: sessions in Eastern time
- Mississippi: sessions in Central time
- North Carolina: sessions in Eastern time
- Oklahoma: sessions in Central time
- South Carolina: sessions in Eastern time
- Tennessee: sessions in Eastern and Central time
- Texas: sessions mostly in Central time
- Virginia: sessions in Eastern time
- West Virginia: sessions in Eastern time
West (Mountain, Pacific, Alaska and Hawaii time)
- Alaska: sessions in Alaska time
- Arizona: sessions in Mountain time
- California: sessions in Pacific time
- Colorado: sessions in Mountain time
- Hawaii: sessions in Hawaii time
- Idaho: sessions in Mountain and Pacific time
- Montana: sessions in Mountain time
- Nevada: sessions mostly in Pacific time
- New Mexico: sessions in Mountain time
- Oregon: sessions mostly in Pacific time
- Utah: sessions in Mountain time
- Washington: sessions in Pacific time
- Wyoming: sessions in Mountain time
More guides
- The Seal of Biliteracy: What It Is and How Students Earn It
- Regional Tuition Discount Programs for Out-of-State Students
Where a mentor helps
Mentors do not interpret state law or decide eligibility; the school counselor, the state agency and college offices do that. What a mentor does is keep a student on top of the requirements that apply: tracking credits, meeting scholarship GPA and renewal conditions, finishing dual enrollment courses and keeping deadlines in view. Blackburn mentors work by video in every state, with a parent always involved for high school students. See how it works for families, read about virtual mentoring, or browse all education guides.
Common questions
Which education rules are set by each state?
Graduation requirements, diploma types, dual enrollment policy, state scholarships, in-state tuition residency and free community college programs are set by states, and districts and colleges often add their own details.
Where do we find our state’s graduation and scholarship rules?
Ask the school counselor first, then check the state education department and the state higher education or student aid agency. Public colleges answer residency questions.
What happens to credits when a student moves to another state?
The new school evaluates transferred credits against its own state’s requirements, so some courses may count differently. Military families have extra protections through the interstate compact.
Get started
Want help keeping a student on track with your state’s requirements? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.