We've been asked several times about diplomas lately. Here is some information for graduation, diplomas and more. More information about high school is in our high school section of our handbook. As always, if you have more questions, feel free to contact us.
What
subjects are required for high school graduation? Alabama
places no requirements for graduation for homeschoolers who educate under the
church school law. Individual church schools may place their own requirements,
but NHCH follows state regulations, so our members do not have requirements for
high school graduation.
If you
want a guideline of what subjects would be suitable for high school, you may
view the requirements for various Alabama diplomas from public and private
schools at theAlabama Commission on Higher Education web site, and the
Alabama courses of study may be viewed at http://alex.state.al.us/browseStand.php.
Again, although the Alabama courses of study are not required by homeschoolers,
they will give you some idea of how to proceed with a high schooler's
education.
Additionally,
if your child plans for college, research the subjects required for that college
and meet those requirements during high school. More information about
preparing for college are detailed in various questions below.
How do I
know when my child has graduated? Your senior graduates
when he has completed what you have designated to be his high school (or more
specifically, his senior year) curriculum. If you use a packaged curriculum,
then your child has finished when he has completed the curriculum for 12th
grade. If you use a variety of sources and materials for educating your child,
then he graduates when he has completed what you have determined to be
necessary for 12th grade.
Are there any legal formalities I need to file with you or the
state to finalize my child's completion of education? You
do not need to do anything except notify us before the end of the school year
(June 30), so when we send the list of un-enrolled students to the BOE in the
fall, we'll mark your child's name as graduated. Please let us know the
official graduation date and his or her future plans following graduation.
Does NHCH
issue a diploma? As with all homeschoolers, parents of children enrolled in NHCH
determine when their children have completed their high school studies, so they
issue the diploma. If your homeschool graduate wants a diploma to hang on his
wall, you can purchase one from several sites on the Internet, such as
HSLDA.org and HomeschoolDiploma.com, or make your own using templates or simply
search on “homeschool diploma.”
According
to HSLDA, as a church school, NHCH provides the legal means to homeschool, and
the parents are in charge of the education of their children, so we have no
authority to sign a diploma. Typically, homeschooling parents sign their
child's diploma. In any case, a homeschool diploma issued by parents is just as
valid as a diploma from a public or private school, and your child's diploma
will, indeed, be accepted by colleges, universities and the military.
For more
information, read "Who Should Issue the Diploma" as well as other articles
and FAQs on the HIghschool page at the Home School Legal Defense
Association (HSLDA) web site.
Will my
child's homeschool diploma be accepted for college? Yes,
indeed! NHCH and Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) wish to remind
parents that they can rest assured concerning the validity of the diplomas they
issue their students. According to HSLDA, a homeschool diploma issued by
parents is just as valid as a diploma issued by a private or public school;
homeschoolers “self-certify” the completion of their high school program just
as public and private schooled graduates self-certify that they have received a
diploma. (In other words, they do not have to show their diploma to officials
to prove they received one.) As a matter of fact, many colleges and
universities actively recruit homeschool graduates!
For
admission, colleges and universities typically look at students' transcripts,
ACT or SAT scores, extracurricular activities, and community service.
Homeschoolers do not have to take the GED, and admissions officers should not
require any form of third party corroboration. Also, homeschoolers are eligible
for federal financial aid--- but be careful to check “homeschooled” when
filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to avoid
delays in the processing of their application.
As a
homeschool church school, NHCH does not provide college admissions services.
Each college and university has its own individual policies and procedures for
admission, so research the requirements for the schools your child is
interested in. If you are a member of HSLDA, you will find an enormous amount
of assistance on their web site.
What if
my child does not want to go to college? If your child does
not plan to attend college, then his high school subjects are entirely up to
you and your child. He may prefer consumer math rather than calculus, for
example. Again, you will find plenty of resources from the library and on the
Internet.
As an
alternative to college, your student may want to consider an apprenticeship or
internship. College is not always the best option for everyone, especially if
your child does not have a specific career goal in mind. As a matter of fact,
depending on the field, an apprenticeship may actually be better than college.
Through an apprenticeship, a student learns under a master in the trade, skill,
or career in which he is interested and at which he is talented.
