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"Should my child get their GED as a homeschooler?" That's a question that I answer often when it comes to homeschool graduation.

Once upon a time, colleges sometimes required a GED from homeschoolers before providing financial aid. Since 1998, however, Congress has provided a better way for homeschoolers to demonstrate their "ability to benefit" from federal financial aid. The law states that students who have "completed a secondary school education in a home school setting that is treated as a home school or a private school under state law" can receive federal financial aid. When you fill out the FAFSA, (fill out the FAFSA in fall prior to your homeschool graduation) the government will decide how much financial aid you should receive. You can receive financial aid as a homeschool student, and you do NOT have to take a GED.

 
The U.S. Department of Education's regulations explain that a student is eligible for financial aid if he was homeschooled, and either (1) obtained a secondary school completion credential as provided by state law, or (2) has completed a secondary school education in a homeschool setting under state law. What does that mean? If you are homeschooling within your state homeschool law, then your student is eligible for federal financial aid. There is no need to take the GED.

GED Stigma

I saw a movie the other day about a high school dropout. She wanted to get a good job, but wasn't able to without a high school diploma. She studied hard, and finally got her GED, proving that she had a high school education. It was a heart-warming story, but it illustrates one thing; a GED can have the stigma of "high school dropout." Many homeschoolers prefer to avoid that stigma. Homeschoolers are NOT high school drop-outs! Homeschoolers are recognized under the law, as shown above. Our homeschool transcript is a real transcript. Our homeschool diploma is official. Our students can receive federal financial aid, just like private and public school students. In the working world, when the application asked if you are a high school graduate, the answer is YES. If the application asked if you have a high school diploma, the answer is YES. 

Calculate your EFC

How much money are we talking about? How much federal financial aid is at stake? You may want to use one of the free online calculators to determine your estimated financial aid. When you estimate financial aid with the "Expected Family Contribution" calculator, remember it does NOT include merit scholarships. Here's a suggested resources for estimating financial aid. College Board EFC Calculator

GED Requirement is NOT homeschool friendly

When you begin to contact colleges, ask them about their policy regarding homeschool students. They do not need a GED from your student. If they require a GED, you can bet they are not a homeschool friendly college. There are some colleges that allow a GED from homeschool students who do not provide either a transcript or portfolio. This is an option that colleges use to provide flexibility in their homeschool admission policy. However, allowing a GED as an option is different than requiring a GED as part of their policy. Sometimes, a college is just 'behind the times' on what should actually be expected as a part of their admission policy. If you feel like you can help them change their policies, I have a template to help you do that in this blog post.

Get to know the college admission policy to determine if the school is homeschool friendly. (You can find out more ways to see if a college is homeschool friendly here.) Few colleges these days will require a GED. Most colleges see and admit homeschoolers regularly, and are unfazed by homeschool transcripts. If you run across one that doesn't understand independent homeschooling, you should likely shop for another college, one that is more homeschool friendly. More and more colleges are learning that these sorts of policies are counter-productive and are changing them to be more accepting of homeschooler. As homeschoolers in college become more and more common, colleges will feel growing pressure to take down barriers that discourage homeschool families. This is good news for families considering homeschooling high school. 

If you need more information, I can help you. Consider joining my Gold Care Club. We can talk weekly about all kinds of topics, including homeschool graduation. I can help you get your student ready for college admission without having a stigma to follow them.