Determining the Validity of a High School Diploma

Sep 14, 2026

Guidance outlines how institutions evaluate whether a student’s high school completion and diploma are valid under 34 CFR 668.16(p). It describes compliance requirements to review secondary-school documentation and to confirm with state departments or agencies. It also explains postsecondary qualification conditions for Title IV funding, including accepted diploma equivalents, GED/HSE options, approved homeschooling completion pathways, and ability-to-benefit alternatives before July 1, 2012. The procedure sets criteria across Level I and Level II, including credential status, accreditation sources, and validation steps.

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Determining the Validity of a High School Diploma

Regulatory basis and institutional compliance

Title IV eligibility and accepted credential types

Validation procedure and criteria (Level I)

Validation steps for non-Level I credentials (Level II)

High School Validation Committee roles

7-25-24 Determining the Validity of a High School Diploma According to 34 CFR 668.16 (p), institutions have a role in checking the validity of a student’s high school completion. Institutions are required to develop and follow procedures to evaluate the validity of a student’s high school completion if the institution or the Secretary has reason to believe that the high school diploma is not valid or was not obtained from an entity that provides secondary school education. An institution is in compliance with 34 CFR 668.16 (p) if it establishes and follows a process to evaluate the validity of a student’s high school completion that includes (1) receiving documentation from the secondary school that confirms the validity of the student’s diploma, and (2) confirming with or receiving documentation from the relevant department or agency in the state in which the secondary school is located. According to the Federal Student Aid Handbook, to receive Title IV funds, students must be qualified to study at the postsecondary level. In order to be qualified to study at the postsecondary level, students must: • have a high school diploma (this can be from a foreign school if it is equivalent to a U.S. high school diploma); • have the recognized equivalent of a high school diploma, such as a general educational development (GED) certificate or other state-sanctioned test or diploma-equivalency certificate; • have completed homeschooling at the secondary level as defined by state law; • have completed secondary school education in a homeschool setting which qualifies for an exemption from compulsory attendance requirements under state law, if state law does not require a homeschooled student to receive a credential for their education; or • have completed one of the ability-to-benefit (ATB) alternatives and are either currently enrolled in an eligible career pathway program or first enrolled in an eligible postsecondary program prior to July 1, 2012. The procedure below explains Hinds Community College’s process to validate the integrity of a student’s reported high school completion and diploma. The goal of this procedure is: 1. To identify a standard set of criteria that validates or invalidates a high school completion and diploma as legitimate in order to establish a best practices model relative to general college admission as well as in the context of 34 CFR 668.16 (p) . 2. To define the role of Hinds Community College in validating high school credentials. 3. To establish the High School Validation Committee and describe procedures by which it operates. 4. To establish criteria for validating high school completion and high school transcript. Hinds Community College endorses the following list to determine ifa high school credential is judged as valid. The following criteria will apply both to admissions and to eligibility to receive Title IV funds. Level I lists criteria for determining that the credential is valid, and that a student is eligible for admission and is eligible to receive Title IV funds. If Level I is not met, then Level II can be used to consider if a credential is valid. Level I: Criteria for valid credentials: 1. All public high schools within the U.S. or U.S. territories 2. Previously validated private high schools by Hinds Community College High School Validation Committee 3. Regionally accredited high schools and their diplomas bearing the school seal, logo, or watermark 4. High schools accredited through agencies approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) such as the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) 5. All U.S., U.S. territory, and military issued GEDs/HSEs 6. Foreign high school transcripts evaluated by a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) affiliate as equivalent to a standard high school diploma (Hinds currently accepts transcripts from the following evaluators: Global Credential Evaluators,

FAQs

What regulation frames an institution’s duty to check high school diploma validity?

The procedure is based on 34 CFR 668.16(p), which requires institutions to evaluate the validity of a student’s high school completion when there is reason to believe the diploma is not valid or not obtained from an appropriate secondary education entity.

What documentation and confirmations are required for compliance?

Compliance requires a process that includes receiving documentation from the secondary school confirming the diploma’s validity and confirming with, or obtaining documentation from, the relevant state department or agency where the secondary school is located.

How does the document determine credential validity when Level I criteria are not met?

Level II requires checking for court judgments, administrative orders, or complaints, reviewing the school’s website for accreditation information, contacting the state Department of Education for recognized school status, and contacting the high school to obtain documentation confirming validity; otherwise the student is directed to a state-issued GED/HSE or other Title IV alternatives.

Sep 14, 2026

Uploaded by Lucas Martin