How to Transfer to an Online High School

Online Learning Resources

10/14/2026

By Pam Adams, M.Ed., Ed.S., Director of Education

The decision to transfer schools often follows months of watching a student outgrow a class schedule, struggle to get individualized attention, or need more flexibility for travel, athletics, health, or family circumstances. Once a family decides that a change is warranted, the next questions are usually practical: How does transferring work? Will credits carry over? What happens to my child’s transcript? Can a student start midyear or should we wait?

This guide walks through the transfer process from start to finish, using the Laurel Springs online high school program as an example of how an accredited online high school handles admissions, transcripts, and academic placement. The steps below apply broadly to evaluating any accredited online program, and where relevant, we have linked to more detailed resources on specific parts of the process.

Why Families Choose to Transfer to an Online High School

Families arrive at this decision for many reasons, including:

A household move or change in family circumstances
The need for a more flexible schedule for training or performance
An academic mismatch where a student is either falling behind or under-challenged
A social or classroom environment that is not serving the student well
A medical or learning challenge that makes it difficult for a student to learn within the limitations of a physical classroom or school schedule

None of these reasons requires waiting for a natural transition point like the end of a school year. As we outline in our post about changing schools midyear, the availability of an asynchronous, rolling enrollment school like Laurel Springs makes school choice available at any point in the calendar year.

Step 1: Confirm the New School’s Accreditation

Before submitting any paperwork, confirm that the school you plan to transfer to is accredited. Accreditation is what allows a school to accept transfer credit with confidence and issue a diploma that colleges and other institutions will recognize. The Laurel Springs online high school program is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and Cognia, two of the most widely recognized accrediting bodies in American education. Families can review the full accreditation detail, along with graduation requirements, on our School Profile page. Skipping this step is a common mistake families may make when evaluating an online school.

Step 2: Request Official Transcripts and Academic Records Early

Once a receiving school is chosen, the next step is requesting official transcripts and academic records from every school and program the student has previously attended where they received high school credit. This includes both full-time academic programs and supplemental or summer courses a student may have taken for credit.

Laurel Springs requires official transcripts from all previously attended schools and programs to ensure accurate course placement and scheduling. We recommend that families complete a Request for Student Records form as soon as a transfer is being considered, since prior schools may take time to process and send these records, especially during summer or winter breaks.

Families who later need to request academic records directly from Laurel Springs, such as a transcript, report card, or proof of enrollment, can do so through our Request for Academic Records form; most requests are processed within five to seven business days. For a closer look at how previously earned credit is evaluated once it arrives, see our post on how online high school credits transfer.

Step 3: Complete Applications and Enrollment Agreements

With records requested, families can begin the formal application. For the Laurel Springs online high school program, this starts with creating a Parent Portal account for security and submitting the online application through that Parent Portal account.

From there, an assigned Admissions Coordinator helps the family with any questions they might have. When they are ready to move forward, the Admissions Coordinator will help them select a start date, sign the enrollment agreement, and set up a tuition payment plan. Because Laurel Springs operates on rolling admissions, new students can begin coursework on almost any Wednesday throughout the year rather than waiting for a traditional fall start date. Families who want a closer look at how this flexibility works in practice can read our post on rolling admissions, and families weighing a specific mid-year move may also find how transferring mid-year propels students forward in a useful context.

A full walkthrough of every step is available on our Admissions Process page, and families who prefer a guided introduction before applying are highly encouraged to join a Virtual Open House where they can learn more about Laurel Springs from the Head of School, faculty, staff, students, and parents.

Step 4: Have Your Child’s Credits Evaluated and a Schedule Built

Once enrolled, a dedicated academic team reviews the student’s official transcripts to confirm credits toward graduation under the receiving school’s policies and build an appropriate course schedule based on the student’s prior work, their specific interests and goals for college or career, and any additional needs the student may have.

At Laurel Springs, students have access to more than 300 accredited courses, including Advanced Placement (AP®) and Honors options, six world languages, and over 100 electives, all organized around individualized academic placement rather than a single fixed track. Full-time high school students also have access to dual enrollment options through partner universities. This allows Laurel Springs to design schedules that allow students to maintain grade level while also accelerating in specific areas or catching up in others. Families can browse the complete course offering in our Course Catalog.

Timing the Transfer: Why Families Don’t Have to Wait for Fall

One of the most persistent myths about changing schools is that it can only happen at the end of a school year. In an accredited online program built around rolling admissions, that is simply not the case. At Laurel Springs, a student’s academic year starts on their individual start date. From that date, students have five months to complete a semester course or ten months to complete a year-long course. Students can pace faster if they choose, completing a semester course in as little as 10 weeks or a year-long course in as little as 20 weeks, which provides extra flexibility for students who wish to accelerate or need to complete work in a shorter time frame to fit around other important passions or needs in their lives.

However, we strongly recommend that students complete any academic term they are currently enrolled in before transferring to a new school. Families considering a mid-year move can read more in A Seamless Transition: Laurel Springs’ Midyear Enrollment Opportunities, which walks through how a partial-year transfer is handled in practice, from records requests through the first weeks of coursework.

Understanding Tuition When You Transfer

Transferring schools mid-year sometimes raises questions about cost, particularly if a family has already paid tuition or fees at a previous school for the current term.

Full-time tuition for the standard Laurel Springs online high school program is $11,700 per year or $6,450 per semester.
The Academy high school program, which includes the additional live Workshops, Symposium course, and expanded counseling, is $17,250 per year or $9,425 per semester.
Individual courses for families who are not ready to commit to a full-time transfer range from roughly $900 to $2,200 annually depending on subject and course level, a useful option for a student who wants to test the model with a single subject before a full transfer.

Families in Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, and New Hampshire may also qualify for state Education Savings Account (ESA) programs that cover partial or full tuition, subject to state approval, and sibling, military, veteran, and payment-in-full discounts are available as well.

Current, complete pricing is available on our Tuition page, and families exploring funding options more broadly may find our post on paying for private school tuition helpful.

Frequently Asked Questions

About the Author

Pam Adams has been a teacher and administrator since 1992, and has served Laurel Springs students since 2022. Her experience in K-12 education includes teaching, serving as assistant principal, principal, and Director of Curriculum, Secondary Schools, and Virtual Learning. She has designed targeted professional learning opportunities for high school teachers, as well as served on numerous state level monitoring teams throughout her home state of Georgia.

Ms. Adams has accomplished strategic school improvement specializing in grades six through twelve, with an emphasis in mathematics. She has held various roles at Laurel Springs including Math teacher, Math Academic Department Chair, Dean of Students, Dean of Upper Schools, Director of Student and Family Experience, and Director of Education. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Piedmont College, and both Master of Education and Specialist in Education degrees in Educational Leadership from the University of Georgia.