High School Newsletter | September 2018

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Accredited and Non-Accredited Diplomas

By Curt Bumcrot

One question homeschool parents may have when deciding to enroll their student in a diploma program is whether to go with one that is accredited or non-accredited. First, “accredited” implies some agency or institution has put their stamp of approval on the school offering the diploma. The problem is that not all accrediting agencies and their endorsements are accepted by all schools. Some accreditation is merely regional and not necessarily recognized on a national level.  If an accredited diploma is important to you, check out the credentials of the accrediting agency before you enroll.

Secondly, public school virtual academies like K-12 and Clackamas Web academy do not allow the use of Christian textbooks. Doing so would jeopardize the government funds they receive. Can a person integrate Christian viewpoints into the subject matter when using secular textbooks? Yes, but be prepared to invest extra work and time, time you may not have.

Thirdly, does accreditation make any real difference in getting into college? If a student plans to enroll into a public four-year college or university, it might. We have found that public college admission standards are not uniform and vary from school to school.   As far as private colleges and universities go, we have found that having a non-accredited diploma and transcript has not been a barrier to entrance. In fact, it may even be seen as an advantage in recognition that textbook choices have not been restricted and true academic and religious freedom has been observed.

Would a Diploma Program Benefit Me?

by Curt Bumcrot

Do I need to enroll into a diploma program to home school my high school student and gain access to college? The short answer is no. If so, then why would I choose to do so?

Below are three reasons why parents might choose to enroll their student into a diploma program:

1. Help with Curriculum Selection—Curriculum options and learning platforms (home, on-line, and group options) are changing continuously and multiplying. An academic advisor can help you know what’s available and what would be a good fit for your student.
2. Transcripting—College admission officers are used to seeing a one-page summary of a student’s high school course of study. A transcript that is easy to read, understandable and clearly communicates your student’s academic accomplishments is a valuable commodity.
3. Credibility—A transcript coming from a recognized educational institution rather than simply from a parent provides credibility. Institutions that have seen records and student work samples are taken seriously when it comes to scholarship awards which are largely based on grade point averages and SAT/ACT scores.

The decision to affiliate with a diploma program is personal one. If you’d like to talk over this important decision with one of our advisors, please feel free to contact us.

Other Articles & Resources You May Find Helpful This Month

• Planning for High School: Where Do I Start? – Meredith Henning gives some advice on starting high school planning.
• High School & College Prep –  A helpful essay from Exodus Books about preparing for college.
• High School Math Resources – If you need a little extra help with high school level math, Khan Academy has some great supplemental resources