Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely! Virtual High School is inspected by the Ontario Ministry of Education and qualified to issue Ontario Secondary School Diploma credits, which are the same credits earned by students in traditional public and private schools. 

To verify our status as an inspected private school, please visit the Ontario Ministry of Education website. Virtual High School’s Ministry BSID# is 665681.

After more than 20 years in operation, Virtual High School has established a distinguished reputation among colleges and universities across Canada and around the world. Any post-secondary institution that accepts Ontario Secondary School Diploma credits will recognize credits from VHS. We always recommend contacting any potential post-secondary institutions directly to inquire about their admissions policies and program requirements.

If a student attends another Ontario high school in addition to VHS, we maintain regular contact with the student’s main school as they progress through their course. We will provide updates at three key intervals: a letter of enrolment, a midterm report, and a final report. The student’s main school will then ensure that any credits earned at VHS are added to the student’s transcript.

We provide these same updates (notification of enrolment, midterm grades, and final grades) to accounts within the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) and the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS) for any students applying to post-secondary institutions. VHS will also communicate directly with international and out-of-province colleges and universities when necessary. 

All VHS credits count toward the online learning requirement for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Visit the VHS blog for more information regarding this Ontario Ministry of Education requirement.

Many Virtual High School courses meet NCAA standards and can be used for application to NCAA schools! To see a full list of approved courses, visit the NCAA Eligibility Center website or review the NCAA Course Reference Guide.

We always recommend contacting any potential post-secondary institutions directly to inquire about their admissions policies and program requirements. 

VHS has ongoing enrolment, which means students may register and get started on any day of the year! Students will be able to begin their courses within 24 hours, even when registration takes place on a weekend. Any registrations submitted on a statutory holiday will be processed the next day.

All Virtual High School course content is contained within our learning environment, so no textbooks are required. Students in English courses may need to locate copies of novels and plays that are readily available at public libraries or bookstores. Any course-specific resources (i.e., calculators, software downloads, etc.) are listed on the individual course outline pages on our website.

Every student will need access to a desktop computer or laptop with high-speed internet and word processing software.

Each course is completed at the student’s own pace, whether that means finishing quickly or taking advantage of our full 18-month time limit. There are no schedules or due dates to follow, so students decide when to hand in their assignments and when to take their tests to meet any personal deadlines they might have. 

Our courses are text- and image-based with interactive components like supplementary videos to illustrate concepts, so there are no live or pre-recorded lessons. Certified teachers are available to answer questions through email, provide feedback, and grade assessments. Standard course offerings ensure that assignments and tests will be graded within 5 days, while our Fast Track courses guarantee 2-day grading turnaround times.

The tuition fee covers all costs associated with the completion of a VHS course. 

There are a few additional services which some students may require depending on their circumstances. Additional fees may apply in the following scenarios:

• Equivalent Credit Assessments
• Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) account creation
• Post-secondary document requests
• Courier fees for document transfers
• Course transfers
• Course extensions

We do our best to make sure that we provide the most cost-effective solutions for our students wherever possible.

All exams at VHS are closed book and completed online under the supervision of our third-party proctoring partner. This proctoring service is fully integrated into our learning environment so that we can provide a seamless, secure experience for our students. Exams can be written on any day of the year at any time of day in any location, so we can accommodate every student’s schedule. 

Virtual High School does not issue refunds. Please consult the Virtual High School Policies page to review all of our policies regarding refunds, course transfers, student enrolments, course prerequisites, confidentiality, and Reach Ahead students in more detail. 

A prerequisite is a course that must be completed before a student can proceed to the next level in a subject area. If a student has not attended an Ontario curriculum high school before, they will need to complete a Prerequisite Waiver Application. Our Guidance Team will review the student’s academic documentation to determine if they have covered topics similar to those included in the Ontario curriculum in the selected subject area. If approved, a student may be granted a waiver to enrol in their chosen course.  

Students who plan to earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma and wish to receive credits for courses that they completed at a high school in another province or territory must submit an Equivalent Credit Assessment Application. This process allows our Guidance Team to appropriately place students into the Ontario education system as seamlessly as possible without having students repeat prerequisite material. Once an Equivalent Credit Assessment has been completed, the expectation is that all remaining OSSD requirements will be fulfilled through an Ontario high school.

Without an Equivalent Credit Assessment, any courses that a student has previously completed at a school in their home province or territory will not count toward the OSSD. 

We want to make sure that our students can get started on their courses as soon as possible, so we guarantee that Prerequisite Waiver Applications will be reviewed within 3–5 business days and Equivalent Credit Assessment Applications will be processed within 5–7 business days. 

Absolutely! Our courses are fully accessible online, and all of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma requirements can be completed in any province or territory. 

Yes, the OSSD is recognized at colleges and universities across Canada and around the world, so it is an excellent alternative for Quebec students looking for an option outside CEGEP. 

Students who wish to have their Quebec credits count toward their OSSD should submit an Equivalent Credit Assessment to our Guidance Team prior to registering. 

 All Canadian students are charged the same tuition rate for our courses.

There are a few additional services which some students may require depending on their circumstances. Additional fees may apply in the following scenarios:

• Equivalent Credit Assessments
• Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) account creation
• Post-secondary document requests
• Courier fees for document transfers
• Course transfers
• Course extensions

We do our best to make sure that we provide the most cost-effective solutions for our students wherever possible.

No, a student visa or study permit is not necessary for enrolment at VHS. Our courses are fully accessible online, and all of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma requirements can be completed in any country. 

A prerequisite is a course that must be completed before a student can proceed to the next level in a subject area. If a student has not attended an Ontario curriculum high school before, they will need to complete a Prerequisite Waiver Application. Our Guidance Team will review the student’s academic documentation to determine if they have covered topics similar to those included in the Ontario curriculum in the selected subject area. If approved, a student may be granted a waiver to enrol in their chosen course. 

Students who plan to earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma and wish to receive credits for courses that they completed at an international high school must submit an Equivalent Credit Assessment Application. This process allows our Guidance Team to appropriately place students into the Ontario education system as seamlessly as possible without having students repeat prerequisite material. Once an Equivalent Credit Assessment has been completed, the expectation is that all remaining OSSD requirements will be fulfilled through an Ontario high school. 

Without an Equivalent Credit Assessment, any courses that a student has previously completed at a school in their home country will not count toward the OSSD.

No. The Ontario Ministry of Education requires each student to complete credits through a mixture of coursework and final assessments. There is no option to do a final assessment, such as an exam, on its own without the coursework as may be found in other international education systems. 

We want to make sure that our students can get started on their courses as soon as possible, so we guarantee that Prerequisite Waiver Applications will be reviewed within 3–5 business days and Equivalent Credit Assessment Applications will be processed within 5–7 business days. 

Students who enrol at Virtual High School have the opportunity during registration to provide information about their English language learning proficiency. This information provides our teachers and guidance advisors with the background knowledge they require to adjust their teaching strategies and implement accommodations to support students.

Please contact the Guidance Team at iep.support@vhs.ucourses.com with any inquiries related to English language learning support.

Yes, international students are charged a slightly higher tuition rate at the checkout point of the registration process. The tuition fee covers all costs associated with the completion of a VHS course. We also offer an International Student Bursary to help offset the cost of tuition for students seeking financial aid.

There are a few additional services which some students may require depending on their circumstances. Additional fees may apply in the following scenarios:

• Equivalent Credit Assessments
• Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) account creation
• Post-secondary document requests
• Courier fees for document transfers
• Course transfers
• Course extensions

We do our best to make sure that we provide the most cost-effective solutions for our students where possible.

Typically, home educators in Ontario would submit an annual letter of intent to their local school board if they planned to homeschool their children. Since Virtual High School is inspected by the Ontario Ministry of Education and responsible for teaching students the curriculum, a letter of intent is not required to take courses at VHS. 

If a homeschool student has applied to Reach Ahead at VHS during their Grade 8 year, a letter of intent may be required by the local school board since the student is not actively enrolled in an elementary school.

Students who plan to earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma and wish to receive credits for courses that they completed through homeschooling must submit an Equivalent Credit Assessment Application. This process allows our Guidance Team to appropriately place students into the Ontario education system as seamlessly as possible without having students repeat prerequisite material. Once an Equivalent Credit Assessment has been completed, the expectation is that all remaining OSSD requirements will be fulfilled through an Ontario high school.

Without an Equivalent Credit Assessment, any courses that a student has previously completed outside of an Ontario curriculum school will not count toward the OSSD. 

A prerequisite is a course that must be completed before a student can proceed to the next level in a subject area. If a student has not attended an Ontario curriculum high school before, they will need to complete a Prerequisite Waiver Application. Our Guidance Team will review the student’s academic documentation to determine if they have covered topics similar to those included in the Ontario curriculum in the selected subject area. If approved, a student may be granted a waiver to enrol in their chosen course. 

We recognize that different approaches to homeschooling help students build knowledge in different ways, which is why it’s important to record what is taught, the methods used, and the student’s progress. 

Evidence of homeschooling may include a combination of the following: 

• A summary of the resources used for each subject
• The time frame in which each course was completed
• The total number of hours spent in each course
• Report cards for every year of study or a transcript generated by a parent/guardian with all final grades
• Samples of student assessments where necessary

We want to make sure that our students can get started on their courses as soon as possible, so we guarantee that Prerequisite Waiver Applications will be reviewed within 3–5 business days and Equivalent Credit Assessment Applications will be processed within 5–7 business days. 

Every student taking a course with Virtual High School must either have an existing Ontario Student Record at a previous school of registration or have an OSR created by our Guidance Team. If a student needs to have their OSR transferred to or created by Virtual High School, our Guidance Team will be in contact shortly after registration.

A mature student is at least 18 years of age on or after January 1 of the current calendar year.

Of course! In a case where a student has previously graduated from another Ontario high school, we will update that school or school board with midterm and final report cards. The student’s main school or school board will then ensure that any credits earned at VHS are added to the student’s transcript. 

Absolutely! Our Guidance Team will work with each student to ensure that they are on track to complete all of the Ontario Ministry of Education graduation requirements in order to earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

We can provide updates (notification of enrolment, midterm grades, and final grades) to accounts within the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) and the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS) for any students applying to post-secondary institutions. VHS will also communicate directly with international and out-of-province colleges and universities when necessary. 

Visit our Post-Secondary Applications page for more information on how we support students through the entire application process.

A prerequisite is a course that must be completed before a student can proceed to the next level in a subject area. When students enrol in a course at VHS, they will be asked to demonstrate that they have met these prerequisite standards established by the Ontario Ministry of Education by submitting an Ontario Student Transcript, final report card, or credit counselling summary. 

Prerequisite Waiver Applications may be necessary for any of the following scenarios for mature students: 

• Attended an Ontario high school prior to September 1999 
• Never attended an Ontario high school 
• Completed college or university courses 
• Has relevant work-related experience 

Our Guidance Team will review the student’s academic documentation to determine if they have covered topics similar to those included in the Ontario curriculum in the selected subject area. If approved, a student may be granted a waiver to enrol in their chosen course.  

Students who plan to earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma and wish to receive credits for high school courses completed outside Ontario must submit an Equivalent Credit Assessment Application. This process allows our Guidance Team to appropriately place students into the Ontario education system as seamlessly as possible without having students repeat prerequisite material. Once an Equivalent Credit Assessment has been completed, the expectation is that all remaining OSSD requirements will be fulfilled through an Ontario high school. 

Without an Equivalent Credit Assessment, any courses that a student has completed outside of the Ontario secondary school curriculum will not count toward the OSSD. 

We want to make sure that our students can get started on their courses as soon as possible, so we guarantee that Prerequisite Waiver Applications will be reviewed within 3-5 business days and Equivalent Credit Assessments will be processed within 5-7 business days.