GED? Is it Necessary for Homeschoolers?

Many people assume that homeschoolers should take the GED test as a way to prove the student has completed high school. While the GED is useful for many adult learners who left high school without graduating, it is generally a poor choice for homeschooled students. Here’s why:

Homeschoolers can graduate from high school
Attending a homeschool high school is attending high school. Homeschool graduates aren’t dropouts. Homeschool diplomas, whether parent-issued or issued by a supervising accrediting school, are generally recognized as proof of high school graduation. The majority of homeschoolers who go to college in the U.S. do so with parent-issued transcripts and diplomas.

State laws vary, and homeschoolers should check the requirements in their state to make sure their homeschooler is complying with all requirements.

GED carries stigma
Whether it should or not, the GED still carries some stigma in some people’s minds.  While it is intended to be viewed as equivalent to a high school degree, some employers consider it a lesser credential.

GED may lock students out of state scholarship programs
Many state scholarship programs treat GED earners differently than high school graduates. Many of these programs require students to graduate from a public, private, or homeschool. Students receiving a GED may be entirely ineligible or eligible just for a much smaller one-time scholarship. For example, under the Georgia HOPE scholarship, GED earners can earn a small one-time grant, whereas traditional high school graduates are competitive for much larger HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships.

GED can mean lower pay rank
Some jobs classify high school graduates and GED earners differently when it comes to pay scale. Also, military entrants are classified into different tier levels. Homeschool grads who earn a sufficient score on the entrance exam can enter the military as the top-ranked Tier One, which is important because 90% of enlistees are classified as Tier One. GED earners typically enter as Tier Two.

GED Is not required for financial aid
There is a lot of misinformation floating around about homeschoolers needing to get the GED for financial aid. This has not been required for many years and is still not required by the federal government. Unfortunately, some college financial aid offices are still not well-informed about this. If you are told your student needs to take the GED  to receive federal financial aid, this is not a federal requirement, and you will need to bring accurate information to the attention of the college. Students are advised to check with the financial aid office at the college they plan to attend to ensure they meet all requirements for financial aid form and evidence of graduation.

While it is the case that the GED generally does not make sense for homeschoolers, there are some less common circumstances in which it may be beneficial. Some apprenticeships or trade unions refuse to accept a homeschool transcript as proof of graduation. Certain states, such as New York, have particular state laws that make it more difficult for parents to issue a diploma. Every family should research state law and the expectations for the post-secondary programs their children may be considering, but in most cases the GED is not required.