A dual-credit course is one that a high school student can take for both high school and college credit.
Texas Scorecard reports that Autumn Selman, the parent of a high school junior, argues that Sam Houston State University (SHSU) is refusing to comply with a new state law that guarantees equal treatment for homeschool students seeking to enroll in college-level coursework.
Under House Bill 3041, which went into effect immediately when Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed it June 20, 2025, public colleges and universities in Texas must provide homeschool students with equal access to dual‑credit courses and treat them the same as public or private school students for admissions and related higher‑education opportunities, without discriminatory barriers based on their homeschool status.
But Selman says SHSU would only allow her son to sign up for a limited set of classes.
Peter Kamakawiwoole, director of litigation at the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), says memorandums of understanding (MOUs) are used between public schools and colleges for dual-credit courses.
"Their position is that they do not need to offer those same courses to a homeschool program unless there is a memorandum of understanding with the program," he says of the university. "They have declined to enter into that memorandum with Autumn, and there is no indication that they're interested in entering into those memorandums with anybody else."
Though SHSU has not formally responded to the lawsuit yet, their position could change.
"If that remains their position, then we would have several concerns about that from a legal standpoint," Kamakawiwoole continues. "One, of course, is that the statute says nothing about MOUs as a legal requirement. It says that homeschoolers have to have an opportunity to participate, subject to the same qualifications and conditions as any other student."
At the hearing on Jan. 8, a judge will consider issuing an order for the school to allow the student to take dual-credit courses in the spring semester.
