Degree Finished - Thank You

[dfrecore]

The home school laws here don't establish anything beyond "comparable instruction". I based my sons program on the local HS graduation requirements. I would put him up against any high school grad in this town. As far as the state is concerned, we are assumed to have followed the law unless someone proves otherwise. The standard innocent until proven guilty. So my program legally met state requirements. My concern is not splitting legal hairs. It is avoiding the appearance that he is trying to hide the fact he was home schooled. That is not the impression I would want a potential employer to get. I agree a transcript is probably a good idea, just in case someone really wants one, but it should be clear it was a "home school" program that met state requirements.

As far as the FAFSA there is a "home school" box that certifies you have completed home schooling as regulated by your state. If you check HS diploma, it has to be on the list of Dept of Ed approved high schools or it will red flag your application.

I'm definitely not saying you're doing anything wrong; quite the contrary. I'm sure that you've done a great job and that your son got a fantastic education. And, I don't think he should hide the fact that he was homeschooled at all. It's more of not being able to say he graduated from High School, when he actually DID. Jason Taylor of the Miami Dolphins was homeschooled, and actually had to sue the NCAA over it because they said that he didn't graduate high school; the HSLDA helped him fight the claim (he lost his football scholarship), and he won the case; after that, the NCAA recognized homeschool diplomas as legitimate (and he got his scholarship reinstated and went on to the NFL).

And again, as an HR professional, I will make an educated guess that he will come up against this some time in the future, somehow, some way. No way to know when, but it's a definite possibility. We got interviewed by an FBI agent years ago when my husband was getting his top secret clearance, they asked about both of us; high school graduation, college, everything. I've run into it recently as well (can't remember why). But sometimes, people/companies/schools/whatever, DO ask about that.

Of course, since he was homeschooled, he can just SAY that he graduated. But I definitely think it's better to just go ahead and give him that diploma, so that he can say it with confidence, not think that it's something to be ashamed of. Or that he has to say "well, ummm...I was homeschooled so I didn't ACTUALLY graduate..." His homeschool diploma is just as valid as anyone who graduated from a public or private school; his school was just a little more exclusive than the rest!

Sorry to keep on this, but I feel strongly about it. Please don't think I'm criticizing you. I've just run across this before, with other homeschoolers, and I want them to be very clear on it - your child graduated from high school, even if he was the only student and you were the only teacher! He/she worked just as hard as the public schooled kids down the street (maybe harder) and the diploma you create for him is just as meaningful to him as theirs are to them.

Just my thoughts. Rant over. :-)