[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-264682-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":85,"doc-detail-264682-en":135},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":78,"head_meta":80,"extra_data":82,"updated_unix":84},105,"en","fsa-valid-high-school-diploma-guidelines-academic-qualifications","FSA-Valid High School Diploma Guidelines - Academic Qualifications","","FSA eligibility at the postsecondary level depends on whether a student holds an accepted high school qualification. The guidelines define recognized equivalents to a U.S. high school diploma, including GED-related credentials, secondary homeschooling completion, passing a Department-approved ability-to-benefit test, or completing specified college credit or clock-hour requirements. They also explain when and how colleges must check high school diploma validity, what documentation may be used, and how self-certification on FAFSA functions when a diploma is in question.",{"@graph":14,"@context":77},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/","Exam",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/fsa-valid-high-school-diploma-guidelines-academic-qualifications/264682/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/fsa-valid-high-school-diploma-guidelines-academic-qualifications/264682.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Xiajie","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-09-14",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",14,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69,73],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What qualifications allow a student to receive FSA funds for postsecondary study?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"A student may qualify with a high school diploma (including an equivalent from a foreign school), a recognized equivalent such as a GED, completion of homeschooling at the secondary level, a Department-approved ability-to-benefit test, or completion of six applicable college credits or 225 clock hours for a degree/certificate.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"Does a student need to provide a copy of a diploma or GED to the school?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"A student may self-certify on the FAFSA that they received a diploma or GED or completed secondary schooling through homeschooling. If a school requires a document for admission, it must rely on the provided copy rather than certification alone, except where otherwise noted in the guidance.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"When must colleges check whether a high school diploma is valid?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Beginning with 2011–2012, if a college or the Department has reason to believe the diploma is not valid or not obtained from an entity providing secondary education, the college must evaluate the validity of the student’s high school completion.",{"name":74,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":75},"Is self-certification on FAFSA enough to validate a questioned diploma?",{"text":76,"@type":64},"No. Self-certification is not sufficient when the high school diploma is in question, and colleges must validate the diploma if they have reason to believe it is dubious.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":79,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":81,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":83,"site_id":7},264682,1789386563,{"code":4,"msg":86,"data":87},"success",[88,92,96,99,104,109,114,119,124,127,131],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},70,"exam",{"id":100,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":105,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":110,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":120,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":122,"slug":123},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":122,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":122,"slug":126},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":128,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":129,"show_sort_weight":128,"slug":130},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":132,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":133,"show_sort_weight":100,"slug":134},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":86,"data":136},{"doc_id":83,"user_id":137,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":138,"doc_module":4,"category_id":33,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":139,"file_id":140,"file_url":141,"file_type":142,"file_size":143,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":26,"language":144,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":145,"faqs":146,"seo_title":147,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":84,"read_time":100},8814010472675,"https://avatar.qwps.com/avatar/WGlhamll","Academic qualifications  \nHEA Sec.484(d),34CFR 668.32(e)  \nRecognized equivalent of a highschool diploma  \n34 CFR 600.2  \nExample:Kitty enrolls in the bachelor'sdegree program at Brandt College.She didn't graduate from high schooland doesn't have a GED.Brandt looksat her high school records to see ifshe excelled academically in highschool.Because she had aCaverage,she doesn't meet Brandt's standardfor admitting students who excelacademically and therefore doesn'thave the equivalent of a high schooldiploma.If she were enrolled in a two-year program that counted as two yearsof her bachelor's degree,she'd havethe equivalent of a high school diplomawhen she completed that programand would be eligible for FSA for thelast two years of her degree program.However,since Kitty never went tocollege before,she'll need to pass anapproved ablity-to-benefit test orsuccessfully complete 6 credit hours ifshe wants to receive FSA.  \nCollege Diploma mill definition  \nAn entity that:  \n1.Charges someone a fee and re-quires him to complete little or noeducation or coursework to obtain a de-gree,diploma,or certificate that may beused to represent to the general publicthat he has completed a program ofpostsecondary education or training;and  \n2.Lacks accreditation by an agency orassociation that is recognized as an ac-crediting body for institutions of highereducation by the Secretary(pursuant toPart H,Subpart 2 of Title IV)or a federalagency,state government,or other or-ganization that recognizes accreditingagencies or associations.  \n# ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS\n\nTo receive FSA funds,a student must be qualified to study at thepostsecondary level.A student qualifies if she:  \n·has a high school diploma(this can be from a foreign school if it isequivalent to a U.S.high school diploma);  \n·has the recognized equivalent*of a high school diploma,such as ageneral educational development or GED certificate;  \n·has completed homeschooling at the secondary level;  \n·has passed a Department-approved ability-to-benefit test;or  \n·has satisfactorily completed six credits or 225 clock hours of collegework that are applicable to a degree or certificate offered by the school.  \nA student may self-certify on the FAFSA that he has received a highschool diploma or GED or that he has completed secondary school throughhomeschooling as defined by state law.If a student indicates that he has a di-ploma or GED,your school isn't required to ask for a copy—except as notedbelow—but if your school requires one for admission,then you must rely onthat copy of the diploma or GED and not on the student's certification alone.  \n# Checking the validity of a high school diploma\n\nBeginning with 2011-2012,if a college or the Department has reason tobelieve that the high school diploma is not valid or was not obtained from anentity that provides secondary school education,the college must evaluate thevalidity of the student's high school completion.Students who indicate ontheir FAFSA that they graduated high school must give the name,city,andstate of the high school.FAFSA on the Web will not allow students to skipthese items,and it will have a drop-down list of both public and private highschools populated by the National Center for Education Statistics(NCES).Inclusion on the list does not mean that a diploma from the school is valid,nor does exclusion from the list mean that the diploma is invalid.Note alsothat diplomas from unaccredited high schools can be valid and qualify stu-dents to receive FSA funds as well as to meet college admission standards.  \nAcceptable documentation for checking the validity of a student's highschool completion can include the diploma and a final transcript that showsall the courses she took.For students who completed their secondary school-ing outside the United States,comparable documents can help,as can theservices of companies that determine the validity of foreign secondary schoolcredentials.Another resource is the state department of education in whi","cbCaicCfxZxK0Q0j","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaicCfxZxK0Q0j","pdf",317089,"English","# ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS\n## Recognized ways to qualify for FSA\n## Self-certification and documentation requirements\n# Checking the validity of a high school diploma\n## When colleges must evaluate validity\n## What information and documents may be used\n# Equivalents to a high school diploma","[{\"question\":\"What qualifications allow a student to receive FSA funds for postsecondary study?\",\"answer\":\"A student may qualify with a high school diploma (including an equivalent from a foreign school), a recognized equivalent such as a GED, completion of homeschooling at the secondary level, a Department-approved ability-to-benefit test, or completion of six applicable college credits or 225 clock hours for a degree/certificate.\"},{\"question\":\"Does a student need to provide a copy of a diploma or GED to the school?\",\"answer\":\"A student may self-certify on the FAFSA that they received a diploma or GED or completed secondary schooling through homeschooling. If a school requires a document for admission, it must rely on the provided copy rather than certification alone, except where otherwise noted in the guidance.\"},{\"question\":\"When must colleges check whether a high school diploma is valid?\",\"answer\":\"Beginning with 2011–2012, if a college or the Department has reason to believe the diploma is not valid or not obtained from an entity providing secondary education, the college must evaluate the validity of the student’s high school completion.\"},{\"question\":\"Is self-certification on FAFSA enough to validate a questioned diploma?\",\"answer\":\"No. Self-certification is not sufficient when the high school diploma is in question, and colleges must validate the diploma if they have reason to believe it is dubious.\"}]","FSA-Valid High School Diploma Guidelines - Academic Qualifications | PDF"]