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Question of the week

Q.: In order to be eligible for federal student aid, a student must have a high school diploma, pass an ED-approved ability-to-benefit test, complete home schooling at the secondary level, or have the recognized equivalent of a high school diploma. What are some examples of a recognized equivalent of a high school diploma?

A.: Page 1-6 of the 2007-08 Federal Student Aid Handbook lists several alternative credentials that a school may accept as equivalent to a high school diploma for federal student aid purposes:

• A GED;
• A certificate demonstrating that the student has passed a state-authorized examination that the state recognizes as the equivalent of a high school diploma;
• An academic transcript of a student who has successfully completed at least a two-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor's degree; or
• For a student who enrolls before completing high school, a high school transcript indicating the student has excelled in high school. The student must no longer be enrolled in high school, must satisfy your school's written policy for admitting such students, and must be starting a program that leads at least to an associate's degree or its equivalent.

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