Homeschooling and Getting A High School Diploma
Thursday, March 30th, 2006By Mimi Rothschild
A GED has long been an acceptable replacement for a high school diploma, but now those who are homeschooled no longer have to make a choice between the two.
The Morningstar Academy in Florida has the ability to graduate homeschooled students with a traditional high school diploma. How? Simply have your homeschooled student demonstrate that he or she has completed at least 18 credits (1 credit per class) worth of studies at home through The MorningStar Academy. It is recommended that homeschooled students complete at least 22 credits if they will be attending college. No matter what age your homeschool child is, if she has done the work, the diploma is his or hers. Courses done through homeschooling are more than enough to fulfill these requirements. A combination of public or private high school credits and courses taken through the Morningstar Academy will work as well.
A credit is earned when a student spends 180 days studying a particular subject. Often half credits are granted for 90 days of work or more in one subject of study.
Documenting credits is as simple as printing out the MorningStar transcript. Volunteer work, internships, and apprenticeships all count toward study time in a particular subject. This includes classes taken in organized sports, art, through homeschool co-ops, foreign languages, and AP credited courses (after the requisite AP exam has been taken).
It isn’t necessary for a homeschooled student to have a high school diploma in order to get into college or to get a job, but in many situations, it can make it a great deal easier. The Morningstar Academy is one way to make that happen for your homeschooled student.