General FAQs About Our Online School

Ohio Virtual Academy is a tuition-free, Cognia-accredited online public school serving students in grades K–12 across Ohio. We offer learning options that provide the structure, accountability, and certified teachers families expect from a brick-and-mortar public school—along with the freedom to learn in a safe, judgment-free space.

Absolutely! Ohio Virtual Academy is fully accredited by Cognia, a nationally accredited governing body. This rigorous accreditation is a valuable mark of distinction that ensures the quality of our policies and validates diploma eligibility and credit transfer worldwide. We use a high-quality, proven curriculum that benefits from K12’s 25+ years of expertise in online education. We then tailor these resources to meet our unique academic needs here in Ohio, ensuring state standards are met with excellence.

Ohio Virtual Academy uses the K12 online learning platform, tailoring its high-quality curriculum and extensive resources to meet our students’ unique needs here in Ohio.

K12 has been delivering online education for more than 25 years and is used in more than 100 online schools across the USA. We’re proud to be one of them!

OHVA offers full-time enrollment for Ohio students in grades K–12. Some of our students enroll in kindergarten and spend their whole school career with us, while others may need to enroll for a semester or two to catch up on credits. We love seeing our students grow and discover their strengths!

English/language arts, math, science, history, music, and art are required. Physical education may be a required course, depending on grade level. Kindergarten students take language arts (including phonics), math, history, and social studies.

High school students also take a world language and have access to honors courses as well as a variety of electives.

Visit our online elementary, middle school, and high school academic pages for more details.

There is no tuition for Ohio residents in grades K–12 to enroll at or attend OHVA because we are an online public school. Students must have access to a computer with an internet connection to attend our online public school.

To ensure you have the equipment you need for school, OHVA provides each student with a loaner laptop. These laptops are the property of Ohio Virtual Academy and must be returned when the student leaves the school. OHVA highly recommends that families accept our loaner computer, as we are then able to assist with technical and software issues.

Based on family income guidelines, internet stipends may be available to help defray the cost of internet services. To determine if your family qualifies for an internet stipend, please reach out to an enrollment consultant.

Like traditional public schools, some common household items—such as printer ink, pens, and paper—aren’t provided by our school.

Yes, Ohio Virtual Academy provides students with textbooks and instructional materials. These books and materials vary based on the student’s grade level and the courses they’re enrolled in. For instance, our high school students receive fewer books and materials than elementary and middle school students.

OHVA follows all state law requirements for daily attendance. Our elementary program combines online instruction provided by licensed teachers with independent lessons completed with the guidance of the child’s Learning Coach. Our middle school and high school programs are a combination of scheduled lessons with online instruction and some lessons completed independently

At Ohio Virtual Academy, we believe in the power of family involvement. As a parent, you are an essential part of your child’s learning experience—whether you take on the role of Learning Coach yourself or designate a trusted adult to support your child day to day. The Learning Coach helps keep students on track, encourages them to engage in lessons, and partners with teachers to support academic progress. Even if you’re not the one logging in every day, your involvement and support are key to your child’s success.

Your involvement as a parent or Learning Coach will vary by grade level, your child’s needs, and your family’s schedule. As your child becomes more comfortable with online learning, they’ll develop greater independence, giving you more flexibility. On average:

• K–2: Approximately 4 to 5 hours per day of school time, with 30–40% of learning completed online. You’ll spend about 1 to 2 hours actively supporting lessons and guiding activities, with the rest being more supervisory.
• Grades 3–5: Approximately 5 to 7 hours per day of school time, with 50–60% of learning online. Your involvement will be more hands-off as students work more independently, but you’ll still check in for progress and occasional help.
• Grades 6–7: Parents typically spend about 1 to 2 hours daily checking in, helping with organization, or offering occasional homework support.
• Grade 8: Students are mostly independent. Parents may check in for progress reviews or support on specific assignments.
• Grades 9–12: Students are largely self-directed. The Learning Coach—whether a parent, guardian, or another trusted adult—plays a background role: checking in on progress, helping with time management, and offering encouragement when needed. OHVA supports students directly through teacher interactions, academic advisors, and college/career prep tools.

Depending on a child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), we should be able to tailor instruction to meet your student’s needs. See below for additional information about rights and responsibilities regarding the education of a child on an IEP:

Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
Procedural Safeguards [PDF]

If you think your child may have an unidentified disability, please read about the Child Find initiative [PDF]. If you’d like to discuss this with us in more detail, call 866.339.9072 (toll-free).

OHVA meets the needs of advanced learners in a variety of ways. The beauty of our elementary and middle school programs is that they’re flexible enough to meet children where they are in any given subject and take them where they want to go. Placement assessments taken online during the enrollment process allow us to place your student at the appropriate level of curriculum. For example, if your 6th grader is doing math at an 8th grade level and reading at a 6th grade level, we can tailor lesson plans to meet your student’s abilities.

High school students can take honors courses. Qualified students are eligible to participate in the College Credit Plus program.

Ohio Virtual Academy is a safe, inclusive, local community—and we know how to have fun! Students at OHVA participate in live class sessions, group discussions, and collaborative projects that help build relationships and communication skills. Our virtual campus brings together students from across Ohio to hang out with classmates, participate in optional student-led activities and clubs, and access learning resources in a safe and welcoming environment.

Students are invited to participate in face-to-face school outings, field trips (e.g., to historical sites, museums, zoos), picnics, and other social events throughout the year. Local groups of students and parents can get together on their own as well!

Check out our Student Life page to learn more about how elementary, middle, and high school students connect and socialize at OHVA!

Yes, students who attend OHVA are public school students, and they earn a high school diploma identical to those awarded by other public schools in Ohio. Our graduates enjoy the same rights and privileges as any other Ohio graduates when applying to colleges and universities across the state and nation.

There are no home visits required to attend OHVA, and there are no other intrusions into your home. The state of Ohio does require that students meet with their teacher in person four times a year. This is accomplished by attending academic workshops, school outings, or state or other testing events.

We are proud to be recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). View our list of approved core courses by visiting the NCAA’s high school selection site
and inputting high school code 365143. To learn more about our NCAA-approved courses, click here.

Flex is a program designed to help optimize a student’s learning schedule through flexible options. Check out how OHVA’s Flex program works and learn more about program eligibility.