More Than A Diploma -- Part I: How to Graduate from Homeschool High School With Up To Two Full Years of College Credit
Part One: Do Home Educated Students Graduate From High School?
During my fifteen years involved in homeschooling, parents and interested others have asked me what homeschoolers do for graduation and a high school diploma. Much to the surprise of many, I explain that homeschoolers do not usually get high school diplomas. At least they do not get one from their local school system (the one to which their parents pay taxes and levies). In some cases parents pay to enroll their students in private umbrella schools where students follow selected curricular programs, supervised by the umbrella school. These schools then put together credentials (transcripts) and issue diplomas to those who complete their curricular requirements; some of these umbrella schools are accredited and can issue an accredited diploma. This costs money, however, usually from several hundred to several thousand dollars, especially for those who don’t enroll in one of these programs until the equivalent of junior or senior year in high school.
For example, one well-known umbrella school charges the following:
REGISTRATION FEE (per academic year):
- $200 — First student
- $50 — Each additional student
TUITION (per academic year):
$875 — For each Elementary Student (grades K-8)
$1,250 — For each High School Student (grades 9-12)
$2,250 — For a New Senior
ADDITIONAL FEES (per academic year):
- $150— Graduation fee
- $1,000— New senior graduation fee
And then there are those who elect to enroll their children in e-schools, usually online charter schools, often paid for by the state taxpayers. These schools sometimes loan “free” computers to students who log-in daily to prove that they are fulfilling their state’s instructional hours requirements, and they follow the curriculum set by the state in these “schools.” I put “schools” in quotes because most of these are just businesses, set up to dip into the easy money from the taxpayer's dole. If you want to see how well they do, just check out the state-mandated testing scores for students from any of these e-schools. Yes, it is possible to get some kind of education from one of these schools, but one can do much better, have so much more freedom to study whatever interests each student, not waste so much time preparing for state-mandated tests, which are required for students in these state-supported e-schools, with home education, or what Ohioans call “excused from compulsory attendance” homeschooling.
Some think that the big advantage of e-schooling is that students can graduate and can get an accredited diploma as part of their e-school package. And in some cases, some students will also be able to qualify for state PSEO (Post-Secondary Education Option) money, which is paid for with tax dollars set aside for high school level students who take classes at certain local colleges and universities. In my state, those home educated students who qualify must jump through many hoops and can only take certain classes for which the state pays for tuition and books. Parents still must either transport or allow the student to transport him or herself to the class site, usually at a nearby participating college, pay for parking permits, student fees, and the cost of fuel to get to and from these classes, unless mass transit is available. Right now that might be easier, since many of these classes will be online, or remote only.
Instead, if one wants to spend one’s post-secondary education dollars wisely, I suggest the program that I have outlined in this three-part post, which offers a better way to apply financial resources than with either an umbrella school or a taxpayer-supported e-school. Sometimes these state-supported PSEO programs are available to home educated students, but only if the local high school guidance counselor will put that child on the school’s database and allow him or her to register for these freebies through the local school. Or if the School Board in certain districts votes to allow homeschoolers to participate in this and perhaps other school programs. Most high schools in our state do not cooperate, though a few exceptional schools will. Parents will find lots of rules and regulations in this program, however, with most not allowing students to earn dual credit (high school and college) for these PSEO classes. Lastly, in some cases, parents can register as a certain type of homeschool (an “08” school in Ohio) that qualifies for some PSEO program money, if available. All states do not offer this option, of course, but it is one more way some students can save some money taking college-level courses during their high school years. However, I don’t recommend these programs, since, again, they come with more restrictions and hoop-jumping that usually accompany most tax-paid programs during compulsory attendance years.
On the other hand, home educating parents and high school level students can put together their own curriculum, follow their own program, and track each student with a fully accredited transcript credential, all by themselves. Then, if students choose, they can order deluxe diplomas, hold personal or group graduation ceremonies and celebrate with their own graduation rituals. I always suggest that families leave this up to each student. Some will want all the pomp and circumstance and others will find it more trouble and expense than it’s worth.
Parents can find free or reasonably priced high school transcript templates online to download and fill in the blanks for that all-important document. My advice is to keep it simple and keep it honest. Grades and courses listed on transcripts should closely parallel the scores that the student gets on the SAT and/or ACT, or some other equivalent exam. I usually advise students to at least prepare to take one or both of these exams. And take as many practice tests as possible. Then if the student is doing much better on one set of practice tests than the other (ACT or SAT), sign up for that test for his or her official college prep test. Or a student could take both tests and only submit whichever one is best to prospective colleges and universities. Also, certain colleges still prefer one test over another, though quite a few have decided to forgo this type of requirement recently. So it’s wise to check first to see which test, if any, will be required. However, most colleges today will accept either test.
But the best plan of all is for the student to pass some CLEP or DSST (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support, or DANTES) exams. Then grades on high school credentials should reflect the CLEP or DSST equivalent scores for the related subject. Parents can use one of the transcript templates, like the ones I’ve listed below, or can use these as examples and format one of their own, using a simple graphics program, Excel or other document program. Here are some homeschool transcript options:
http://www.homeschool-curriculum-savings.com/homeschool-transcript-template.html
https://www.covenant.edu/admissions/undergrad/home-schooled
I like to keep these simple, to look just like the ones issued by my local high school. If you can, visit your local high school guidance counselor and ask to see a copy of their transcript form. I've known others who go to great lengths and put together spiral-bound booklets about each child’s high school curriculum, thinking that more information will help for college admissions. I’m not so sure that’s true, since few college admissions personnel really want to read through a book or report with twenty or more pages detailing four years of one student’s high school learning quest. We may think our children are special, and they surely are, but colleges often go to great lengths to at least appear to treat all applicants as equals; unless, of course, someone in the family has a large endowment that they might leave to that college or university. Since most colleges do not issue these types of lengthy credentials for their own graduates, why would they want to see this much detail from applicants? But some parents still go whole hog on transcripts, hoping that it will make a difference for their student. Perhaps it does, but I haven’t seen data that would support this. Basically, if the coursework reflects the scores on the SAT and ACT exams, or on CLEP and DSST exams, then a simple transcript should suffice.
To assemble these credentials, first name your homeschool and follow through with that name on all your documentation. I started by printing up and laminating student and teacher identification cards under our homeschool name. These are useful for student and teacher discounts at various businesses, like bookstores, fabric and craft stores, movies, concerts, dance, and theatre productions. My daughter was able to get a student discount at our local climbing gym, too, by showing her student ID.
Most of the time students can supply their home-generated graduation information on job applications without any problems. But a few employers might request a copy of that transcript or, rarely, to see the student’s diploma. Bear in mind that these home-issued transcripts and diplomas are totally legitimate, but they are not accredited. That simply means that they are not backed by a nationally or regionally recognized accrediting organization. However, if parents honestly and conscientiously put these together, they can serve most students quite well when applying for an entry-level job or trying to get into college or some other post-secondary training institution. If some employers ask for more, I have posted an affidavit form that a parent can generate, sign and have notarized that indicates that the student has completed the required course of study and has completed his or her high school requirements. I have made this form, a “Home School Completion Affidavit,” available online at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JI4baWBi5Gn21XoOuk9Oo8YuFxlS8_R1Ho64o_pkFX8/\edit
With my daughter I followed a minimalist philosophy and designed her transcript to closely resemble the typical transcript from our local high school, with just one page, front and back, providing all the basic information, nothing fancy, nothing overwhelming. This, combined with my daughter’s SAT and ACT scores, and her completion of all other required college admission forms and essays, letters of reference, satisfied all her college admissions needs. Yes, she found a few colleges that were rather homeschool-hostile, but she figured she’d probably be better off not attending those institutions anyway. One of the ones she thought she wanted to attend was, to our surprise, incredibly homeschool unfriendly. For the most part, she had no problem and was easily and readily admitted, even receiving full-tuition scholarship offers from the colleges she selected. Of course, if a student has a very specific college or university in mind, then do inquire early about what they expect from homeschool applicants and ask about their policies regarding credit by examination credentials, as well as transcripts. Plan ahead and maximize these opportunities while they will most benefit students.
An exception to this rule would be all the U. S. Military Services. They usually require something more definitive. Many families opt for the GED (General Education Development) certificate. The military sometimes accepts these, but they usually don’t offer top placement opportunities to those who only hold the GED. And they may not accept a home-grown diploma at all, though some will. Accredited umbrella school diplomas usually suffice, but I don’t recommend their additional cost when something much better is available. What I suggest to homeschool families is that their students begin a dual credit, self-directed college curriculum, following the CLEP (College Level Examination Program), or the DSST (Dantes Subject Standardized Tests) program I present in the next two parts of this post. The CLEP program is operated under the auspices of the College Board (same folks who do SAT, AP, and GRE testing), and the DSST program operates under Prometric, a “global provider of comprehensive testing and assessment services.”
Under either of these programs or a combination of these two, students can complete courses that offer a solid college preparatory curriculum with CLEP or DSST credit by examination, ultimately substantiating college credits earned for completion of each course. Students can save money and get a top-notch education, plus earn college credits while completing high school at home. In the end the student won’t have a high school diploma, but will have something better: certified college credit for the work completed. That means that he or she can fill out that job application or college admission form listing these credits as legitimate college credits and providing transcripts from College Board or Prometric that cite scores earned for each course. Remember that many students leave high school before they have graduated because they are exceptional students and are ready to attend college. These students often don’t earn high school diplomas, either. So not having a regular high school diploma is not always a bad thing, especially if the student can show that he or she can do college level work and has earned college credit, either by attending college classes or by passing credit by examination tests with CLEP or DSST.
For graduation supplies, like diplomas, caps and gowns, tassels, announcements, class rings, etc., if these are things that are important to your student, check out some of these options:
http://www.homeschooldiploma.com/
http://www.diplomastore.com/prod04.htm
And here are some free templates to create your own diplomas:
https://donnayoung.org/forms/planners/diploma.htm
http://www.freediplomatemplates.com/
Whether a student is following a standard college preparatory curriculum or simply exercising the right to pursue a self-directed learning path, otherwise known as “unschooling,” or perhaps something in between these extremes, any student can earn college credit during compulsory schooling years through CLEP or DSST, as well as several other credit by examination programs. Even those students attending brick and mortar high schools can enrich their compulsory schooling years and earn college credit by preparing for and passing these exams. With the recent news from College Board’s Advanced Placement division, suggesting that students attending high school will have to pay for Advanced Placement classes, CLEP and DSST are looking better and better, even to those in excellent high schools. And some states will start charging fees to take the AP tests, such as New York state that will charge $15 per test for the first three tests and $53 for any test after that. And for those students who have eclipsed compulsory schooling years, but who would prefer to spend less while independently accruing college credit, they, too, can benefit from these credit by examination options.
Soon to come: Part II with equivalent high school course details
Norma Curry
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