‘Diploma Mill’: College Attacks Student’s Homeschool Record

Homeschool graduate Hannah Cobbs was eager to begin her second year of studies at a Texas community college, when she encountered an unexpected setback.

Officials in the financial aid department suddenly said enrolling Hannah had been a mistake, because they claimed her homeschool diploma failed to meet the college’s entrance requirements.

It got worse. When Hannah tried to explain that her credentials were valid, a worker in the registrar’s office accused the student of being the product of “a diploma mill.”

Hannah tried to break the impasse on her own, but failed to get through to the college administrators. “They made me feel really stuck,” she said. So she contacted HSLDA.

Here’s what happened.

When she graduated from high school in 2020 at the age of 16, Hannah was participating in a homeschool co-op run by her mother in Memphis, Tennessee. About a dozen other students took part in the group for academics and other opportunities.

In keeping with one of the options for homeschooling in Tennessee, Hannah’s mom participated in a church-related school. Though her mom directed Hannah’s education through the co-op, the supervising school helped maintain records to show the teen and other homeschool students were complying with regulations, such as attendance and testing requirements.

It was also the supervising school that issued Hannah’s high school diploma. This may have contributed to confusion on the part of officials at the Texas community college—who, understandably, might not have fully comprehended Tennessee homeschool law.

Exploring Options

Initially, Hannah had no reason to suspect her high school credentials would come under question. She was accepted into college in Tennessee immediately after graduation. However, said Hannah, “It was the start of COVID-19, and it was a difficult transition.”

She decided to defer higher education for a time, and instead explored various career options. So she obtained licenses to braid hair, served as a notary public, and sold insurance.

Then when her family moved to Texas, Hannah followed. She toured several colleges, and eventually applied to a local community college with the aim of later transferring to the University of Houston. “They didn’t say anything about my diploma,” she said.

For the 2023 school year, Hannah took a full slate of classes, earning A’s and B’s. She then registered for the fall 2024 semester without encountering any obstacles. That changed in August, when she took her grandmother to visit the campus and dropped into the registrar’s office to check her status.

“They said there was a little issue with my high school transcript,” Hannah recalled. She submitted an additional copy of her school records, trusting that would resolve the problem.

Then, on the day she was due to begin classes, she opened her laptop and found all of her classes had been dropped and her financial aid frozen. She was later told, “Your homeschool diploma is completely invalid.”

Hannah’s attempts at reasoning with college officials only resulted in her being pressured to take the GED. She rejected the advice. “I really didn’t need a GED because I have a diploma,” she said. “I was really upset. I called my mom, and she said, ‘call HSLDA.’”

Explaining the Law

Hannah contacted HSLDA Senior Counsel Darren Jones, who acted quickly on her behalf. He reached out to the attorney for the community college and explained that Hannah’s high school education was indeed valid under Tennessee law.

He pointed out the organization that issued her diploma followed state law requirements: It is listed as a bona fide church-related school on the Tennessee Department of Education website, and meets the standards determined by state law.

Jones received a positive response within days. “The attorney for the community college quickly replied and agreed that Hannah’s diploma and transcript were valid,” he said. “He even remarked that it sounded like someone in the office needed re-educating about homeschooling.”

After a little more prodding, the school’s other departments fell in line. Hannah was re-enrolled, and her financial aid restored. She missed about a week of classes, but quickly caught up.

She is now on track to continue pursuing a career as a writer. Her ultimate goal?