NHA Frequently Asked Questions

Charter schools are tuition-free public schools that operate independently from the local school district. They follow all federal, state, and local education, health, and safety regulations, but have more flexibility in how they teach. That autonomy comes with accountability for results.

No. National Heritage Academies (NHA®) partners with communities to build and operate public charter schools. We provide the curriculum, resources, and support that individual schools need, while each school serves its own community.

Yes. Every NHA partner school is a tuition-free public charter school, open to all students.

No. NHA partner schools are tuition-free. There is no cost to attend.

NHA supports more than 100 partner schools across nine states, serving more than 60,000 students. Find the NHA school closest to you.

Applications are submitted online through your school's website. Find a school near you to get started.

Open Enrollment is the designated period when families can apply for the upcoming school year and receive equal consideration for available seats. Dates vary by school.

When applications exceed available seats, the school holds a random lottery to determine who is offered a seat and to set the order of the waiting list. For more detail, see our Lottery FAQ, Waiting List FAQ, and Acceptance FAQ.

No. NHA partner schools do not use entrance exams, interviews, or essays as a condition of applying.

NHA partner schools follow a rigorous, research-backed curriculum. Teachers use student data to guide instruction and give each student personalized support.

Moral Focus™ is NHA's character development program. Students learn a different virtue each month, like compassion, perseverance, and wisdom, and practice applying them in everyday situations.

NHA partner schools serve students from kindergarten through 12th grade, though grade levels vary by school.

Yes. NHA partner schools include high schools serving grades 9-12 and 7-12, as well as high school grades within K-12 schools.

Yes. NHA online schools serve students in kindergarten through high school through two learning models, Live Online and Self-Paced.

A Stanford University study found NHA partner-school students gain an average of three-and-a-half additional months of learning each year. See Academic Results for more.

Use our School Finder to search by location.

NHA online schools are available to students in some states, and new schools open periodically. Contact us to learn more.