Some parents wonder if their homeschooled teens would benefit from earning a general equivalency diploma (GED). The GED is one of several equivalency tests (such as HiSET and TASC) that evaluate whether a non–high school graduate has gained the knowledge typically acquired in high school.

Because GEDs are primarily earned by students who have been unable to complete high school for various reasons, they carry the stigma of being a dropout. If your student has finished the high school program you designed, then he or she deserves to be awarded a homeschool diploma! And you, as the parent in charge of the high school program, are qualified to issue that diploma.

With rare exceptions, parent-issued diplomas are accepted as proof of high school completion by colleges, employers, and the military. If you are an HSLDA member and a college or employer requires your graduate to take the GED, HiSET, or TASC, please contact us for assistance as soon as possible.