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TEACH Handbook
(Updated
07/04 Word Document)
Click here for
the pdf version
of our
2009-2010
Membership Application
Click here for the
Microsoft Word version
of our 2009-2010 Membership Application
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Breakthrough for Young College-Bound Home School Graduates
After months of negotiations with the U.S.
Department of Education (ED), Home School Legal Defense Association is delighted
to announce a huge step forward for home school graduates who want to attend
college but are under 17 years of age.
Several colleges around the country have refused to admit students who are home
school graduates but are still technically under their state's compulsory
attendance. Some institutions also stated they would admit such students only if
they obtained a GED. These schools were concerned that they would lose certain
federal benefits if they were to admit such students, or were to admit them
without a GED.
For several months, HSLDA has been working on this problem with the General
Counsel's office of the U.S. Department of Education and congressional committee
staff. On April 19, the Department of Education, Office of the General Counsel,
issued a formal letter resolving the issue. Federal law requires that colleges
admit only students who fall into certain categories. One category is students
who are "beyond the age of compulsory attendance." The ED letter
explains that this category includes not only students who are beyond the age of
compulsory attendance by virtue of their age, but also any student who has
graduated from home education.
This means that any home schooled graduate, regardless of age, is beyond the age
of compulsory attendance under federal higher education law. The result is that
institutions may enroll such students, regardless of age, without fear losing
eligibility for federal benefits.
In light of this, there is no longer any legitimate reason for colleges to deny
admission to home schooled students of any age, or to demand that home schoolers
obtain a GED. We anticipate that institutions of higher education will bring
their admissions policies into line with federal policy.
The letter does, however, preclude colleges from accepting "home
schooling" students that state considers truant (for example, high school
dropouts who claim to be home schooling to avoid college regulation).
The Department of Education also states in its letter that a home schooled
student may "self certify." In this context, certification relates to
the process that is used to document or prove that the student has a diploma, or
has truly graduated from home schooling. "Self-certification" means
that the student himself-without the endorsement or verification of any school
official or other third party-can "certify" that he has completed the
home school program, and this is sufficient to establish the student's
credibility and protect the institution's eligibility. In other words, once a
student verifies to an admissions officer that he has graduated from home
education, the admissions officer should not require any form of third party
corroboration.
Because this is a very recent development, it may take a little while for word
to get out to all admissions officers. Nonetheless, we expect college admission
to go much more smoothly for students across the country who are home education
graduates but are still within compulsory attendance age.
Preparation for College Admission
Recognizing Home School Diplomas for College Admittance and Financial Aid
Congress has revised and clarified federal law affecting home
schoolers. The U.S. Department of Education has changed its policy as well. Both
point to a common principle: Home schoolers should be admitted to colleges and
granted financial aid without having to take additional tests beyond what is
required of traditionally schooled students. Ignoring a home school graduate’s
diploma and requiring him to take a GED, SAT II, or ability-to-benefit test,
while graduates from traditional high schools are not required to do so, is
discriminatory. View this report: HSLDA
Document
An educational website that will help high school students prepare for the
vocabulary section of the new SAT exam. The site is also useful to anyone
that would like to improve their English vocabulary.
The site is called: SAT Preparation
The address is: http://www.sat-preparation.co.il
There are over 3,000 multiple choice questions divided into 21 groups. There is
also a database browser to review and print the questions and the correct
answers.
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