Question About Using CC Credits as High School Credits

[Gabrial]

Howdy folks, I apologize if this question has already been answered. In my defense, I did search heavily for an answer.

 

So, my question is, if a homeschooled student who had taken community college courses was looking to apply to college, and needed to fulfill a certain amount of high school credits to do so, would it be possible to use the credits earned at the community college in place high school credits? More specifically, if the student had chosen to do their science courses and more advanced classes, such as chem, bio, and calc, at a local community college, would it be possible to put these on a transcript as high school courses? For example, putting down a 5 credit chem class with lab as having fulfilled the chem credit for high school, or putting down a 3 credit college algebra class as having completed the credit needed for that class.

 

I guess my question is, would this be frowned upon by colleges, and even though the student would prefer to go to a four year college right from the get go, would the most realistic route for a student who chose to fulfill most of their high school credits at a community college be to finish the associates and transfer? Money is not an issue, and the student would very much prefer not to have to finish their associates at a community college, so if anyone has had luck using CC credits as high school credits in the admission process, I would very much love to hear your experience.

[maize]

Using college classes to fulfill high school requirements is called dual enrollment and is very common both among homeschool and traditional school students, it is generally a plus in college admissions as the student has demonstrated the ability to do college level work.

 

In many cases a one semester college course can take the place of a year-long high school course for credit purposes.

[Jann in TX]

My dd graduated from our homeschool highschool with 28 college credits.  Credits for her Jr and Sr years of high school were via 'dual enrollment'-- so when she took the CC Chem class she also received high school credit as well.

 

It was a great opportunity for dd and allowed her some wiggle room to change majors and still graduate college in 4 years (well she will graduate next May).

 

It also saved us big $$$$  as we paid only a $40 out of area fee for each CC class!

[Gabrial]

maize- thank you for the fast response. I realize now I didn't even really state my question completely. The first semester(sophomore/junior) was technically dual enrollment. However, we were told that if we handed in a high school transcript then we would qualify for financial aid. This seemed logical at the time since the I(I being the student) had planned on finishing the basic high school credits and then joining the military. However, I have decided to pursue a degree before my military service, and I'm left wondering if credits that were technically earned as a freshmen(transcript in essence declared me graduated) are ineligible to be used in the place of high school credits or if they are considered remedial and do not count towards the completion of the required credits.

 

I hope that makes sense. I feel as if I may have gotten myself into a mess with this change of plans, but of course, maybe I'm simply over thinking things.

[maize]

maize- thank you for the fast response. I realize now I didn't even really state my question completely. The first semester(sophomore/junior) was technically dual enrollment. However, we were told that if we handed in a high school transcript then we would qualify for financial aid. This seemed logical at the time since the I(I being the student) had planned on finishing the basic high school credits and then joining the military. However, I have decided to pursue a degree before my military service, and I'm left wondering if credits that were technically earned as a freshmen(transcript in essence declared me graduated) are ineligible to be used in the place of high school credits or if they are considered remedial and do not count towards the completion of the required credits.

 

I hope that makes sense. I feel as if I may have gotten myself into a mess with this change of plans, but of course, maybe I'm simply over thinking things.

 

Ah, that complicates the situation. The credits earned as a Freshman year college student do not count as high school credits. At this point you would likely be considered a transfer student in college applications, and your college transcript is more important than your high school transcript. If you are not sure how a college would view the situation, contact the admissions office at each college you would like to apply to and ask them. You do not have to complete an associates degree to apply as a transfer student.

 

If you are interested in a military career, have you looked into ROTC programs?

[maize]

A few more questions: you asked whether the classes from your Freshman year at CC would be considered remedial; were they remedial level classes or does the CC consider them college credit classes? At most schools anything at the 100 level or above is not remedial. If the classes were remedial, they may not count as college credits in determining whether you would apply as a Freshman or a transfer student. Science classes, college algebra, and calculus are generally not remedial, so if that is the kind of credits you have this should not be an issue.

[Lori D.]

maize- thank you for the fast response. I realize now I didn't even really state my question completely. The first semester(sophomore/junior) was technically dual enrollment. However, we were told that if we handed in a high school transcript then we would qualify for financial aid. This seemed logical at the time since the I(I being the student) had planned on finishing the basic high school credits and then joining the military. However, I have decided to pursue a degree before my military service, and I'm left wondering if credits that were technically earned as a freshmen(transcript in essence declared me graduated) are ineligible to be used in the place of high school credits or if they are considered remedial and do not count towards the completion of the required credits.

 

I hope that makes sense. I feel as if I may have gotten myself into a mess with this change of plans, but of course, maybe I'm simply over thinking things.

 

Usually the community college or university requires students to either have a high school diploma or GED (and so are "regular" students) -- OR -- they require the signing of a dual enrollment form so that it is clear that the student is still in high school but dual enrolled and getting simultaneous high school AND college credit. Community colleges and universities have strong policies about high school drop outs -- hence, wanting the dual enrollment form signed if the student does not have a diploma or GED.

 

Some credits ARE remedial, and only of high school level, and so, while they WOULD appear on the community college transcript, they would not count towards college credit. The community college counselors -- and even the course catalog -- can advise you as to whether the courses are remedial, or college level.

 

Finally, re: financial aid… High school students are NOT eligible for FEDERAL financial aid when taking dual enrollment -- only students who have graduated from high school and are now "regular" college students. Community colleges usually DO have some need-based and merit-based scholarships, small scholarships for books, AND have Federal Work Study monies and Pell Grant monies they award to students who fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form. Again, to receive any of those monies, the student must be a high school graduate or have taken the GED and be done with high school.

 

HOWEVER, some states have special dual enrollment agreements with the community college which pays for a not-yet graduated high school student's dual enrollment classes -- usually 1-2 classes per semester, and sometimes there is a limitation on which specific courses. Books are usually NOT included in this free option. Also, some states offer free vocational courses through the community college -- my state offers FREE vocational-based courses at the community colleges for students up through the age of 22, whether graduated or not. However, they are only specific courses in specific vocational areas, usually working towards either a 1-year certificate  or towards taking a state certification exam to go on to be employable. Or, to earn the actual Associate's degree for that field, the student pays and takes whatever additional courses are required for the AAS degree.

 

 

As far as whether to declare credits as high school, or as a college freshman -- First, when you say you plan to pursue your degree first before entering the military -- do you mean a 2-year Associate's degree at a community college, or a 4-year Bachelor's degree at a 4-year university? Second, esp. for entering a 4-year university, financial aid can very greatly whether you enter as a freshman, or as a transfer student. Most universities award the vast majority of their scholarships to freshman; they have far fewer scholarships to award to transfer students. Some universities have a very strict limit on the number of college credits an incoming freshman can have -- sometimes as few as 23-24 credits, or even as few as 12 credits. ALL courses that are not of remedial (high school) level are counted by the university.

 

As far as federal student aid -- that is usually need-based aid. Again, you fill out the FAFSA form, and depending on how much need you are perceived as having, the university offers you a package of grants (money you do not have to repay) and loans (money you DO have to repay). It may also include work study money (money you earn while working 10-15 hours a week at a specific job on campus).

 

 

It is really tricky trying to figure out whether it is in your student's best academic interests, and your family's best financial interests, whether to continue as a dual enrolled student, or graduate the student and have them continue on as a regular college student whether at the community college or a 4-year university. BEST of luck as you weigh those pros and cons! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[Gabrial]

Ah, that complicates the situation. The credits earned as a Freshman year college student do not count as high school credits. At this point you would likely be considered a transfer student in college applications, and your college transcript is more important than your high school transcript. If you are not sure how a college would view the situation, contact the admissions office at each college you would like to apply to and ask them. You do not have to complete an associates degree to apply as a transfer student.

 

If you are interested in a military career, have you looked into ROTC programs?

That's what I thought. So, I know this is something I need to discuss with an admissions office, but to the best of your knowledge, do you know how most 4 year universities would react to my having pretty much stopped high school starting around the beginning of my junior year? I have very few of the credits required for high school, but I have many of them completed through a community college. This is the reason why I felt that I would need an associates before I decided to transfer, cause in the eyes of the admissions office, my high school education stopped after my sophomore year. For example, I'm very interested in the business program at UoI Bloomington(OOS), however, their admission policy(this is for freshmen, I still need to research transfer) has pretty stringent guidelines as to the high school courses that are required to be completed. Do you know if this is less important in a transfer situation where the student has 25 college level courses(including science) with a, so far, 4.0 GPA? I know these are pretty specific questions, and I understand if you don't know, I'm just trying to figure out what we our up against with this.

 

Also, I would do ROTC, however, I'm interested in an enlisted position, and I'm more interested in college because of a love for learning and to have a degree if the military turns out to be a one time things or not work out at all.

 

Jann- I wish my community college had allowed dual-enrollment to get FASFA, but they told us that we would have to pay out of pocket if I did not hand in a transcript.

[Gabrial]

Usually the community college or university requires students to either have a high school diploma or GED (and so are "regular" students) -- OR -- they require the signing of a dual enrollment form so that it is clear that the student is still in high school but dual enrolled and getting simultaneous high school AND college credit. Community colleges and universities have strong policies about high school drop outs -- hence, wanting the dual enrollment form signed if the student does not have a diploma or GED.

 

Some credits ARE remedial, and only of high school level, and so, while they WOULD appear on the community college transcript, they would not count towards college credit. The community college counselors -- and even the course catalog -- can advise you as to whether the courses are remedial, or college level.

 

Finally, re: financial aid… High school students are NOT eligible for FEDERAL financial aid when taking dual enrollment -- only students who have graduated from high school and are now "regular" college students. Community colleges usually DO have some need-based and merit-based scholarships, small scholarships for books, AND have Federal Work Study monies and Pell Grant monies they award to students who fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form. Again, to receive any of those monies, the student must be a high school graduate or have taken the GED and be done with high school.

 

HOWEVER, some states have special dual enrollment agreements with the community college which pays for a not-yet graduated high school student's dual enrollment classes -- usually 1-2 classes per semester, and sometimes there is a limitation on which specific courses. Books are usually NOT included in this free option. Also, some states offer free vocational courses through the community college -- my state offers FREE vocational-based courses at the community colleges for students up through the age of 22, whether graduated or not. However, they are only specific courses in specific vocational areas, usually working towards either a 1-year certificate or towards taking a state certification exam to go on to be employable. Or, to earn the actual Associate's degree for that field, the student pays and takes whatever additional courses are required for the AAS degree.

 

 

As far as whether to declare credits as high school, or as a college freshman -- First, when you say you plan to pursue your degree first before entering the military -- do you mean a 2-year Associate's degree at a community college, or a 4-year Bachelor's degree at a 4-year university? Second, esp. for entering a 4-year university, financial aid can very greatly whether you enter as a freshman, or as a transfer student. Most universities award the vast majority of their scholarships to freshman; they have far fewer scholarships to award to transfer students. Some universities have a very strict limit on the number of college credits an incoming freshman can have -- sometimes as few as 23-24 credits, or even as few as 12 credits. ALL courses that are not of remedial (high school) level are counted by the university.

 

As far as federal student aid -- that is usually need-based aid. Again, you fill out the FAFSA form, and depending on how much need you are perceived as having, the university offers you a package of grants (money you do not have to repay) and loans (money you DO have to repay). It may also include work study money (money you earn while working 10-15 hours a week at a specific job on campus).

 

 

It is really tricky trying to figure out whether it is in your student's best academic interests, and your family's best financial interests, whether to continue as a dual enrolled student, or graduate the student and have them continue on as a regular college student whether at the community college or a 4-year university. BEST of luck as you weigh those pros and cons! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Wow, thank you for the long response. Pretty much what my situation is is that I handed in a very basic high school transcript my junior year in order to qualify for federal aid. My parents or I did not sign any papers. that I'm aware of, establishing dual-enrollment status. I'm receiving a poll grant as of now. The courses were college level( college algebra, Eng. 101, U.S. History, etc.), and none were remedial.

 

The not qualifying for scholarships is a very big one for me. As much as I would like to get my degree before I join, I was planning on using my GPA and test scores to earn scholarships. Without scholarships, it is very hard for me to justify spending so much money when I can use the G.I. Bill to pay for at least some of the tuition following my service. I'm glad you brought this to my attention so early in my research process.

[Gabrial]

A few more questions: you asked whether the classes from your Freshman year at CC would be considered remedial; were they remedial level classes or does the CC consider them college credit classes? At most schools anything at the 100 level or above is not remedial. If the classes were remedial, they may not count as college credits in determining whether you would apply as a Freshman or a transfer student. Science classes, college algebra, and calculus are generally not remedial, so if that is the kind of credits you have this should not be an issue.

No, they were not remedial. I asked that because I have seen on college boards that some colleges count certain credits as remedial or EC's if they do not meet their standards for being counted on a transcript.

[Lori D.]

That's what I thought. So, I know this is something I need to discuss with an admissions office, but to the best of your knowledge, do you know how most 4 year universities would react to my having pretty much stopped high school starting around the beginning of my junior year? I have very few of the credits required for high school, but I have many of them completed through a community college. This is the reason why I felt that I would need an associates before I decided to transfer, cause in the eyes of the admissions office, my high school education stopped after my sophomore year. For example, I'm very interested in the business program at UoI Bloomington(OOS), however, their admission policy(this is for freshmen, I still need to research transfer) has pretty stringent guidelines as to the high school courses that are required to be completed. Do you know if this is less important in a transfer situation where the student has 25 college level courses(including science) with a, so far, 4.0 GPA? I know these are pretty specific questions, and I understand if you don't know, I'm just trying to figure out what we our up against with this.

 

Also, I would do ROTC, however, I'm interested in an enlisted position, and I'm more interested in college because of a love for learning and to have a degree if the military turns out to be a one time things or not work out at all.

 

Jann- I wish my community college had allowed dual-enrollment to get FASFA, but they told us that we would have to pay out of pocket if I did not hand in a transcript.

 

My understanding is that universities require a high school diploma or GED for admission. If entering as a freshman, there are usually standard credits required of high school graduates for freshman admission. I just searched for U of Bloomington's admission policies:

 

freshman admission policies:

1. ACT or SAT test score

2. a minimum of 34 credits (semesters), including:

- 8 credits (semesters) = English

- 7 credits (semesters) = Math -- including Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 and Pre-Calc (or Trig, or Calculus)

- 6 credits (semesters) = Social Sciences -- US History, World History/Geography, Gov't/Econ

- 4 credits (semesters) = Foreign Language

- 3 credits (semesters) = additional college-prep courses (electives) -- additional for. lang. recommended for all students

 

transfer student admission policies

transfer students are those who have completed more than 26 semester hours (or 39 college quarter hours) of college course work

1. GPA of 2.3 or higher

2. send in official high school transcript

3. send in official college transcript (from the community college)

4. send in ACT or SAT test score

5. send in the application & application fee

 

 

 

From there, U of Bloomington would determine which, if any, of the community college credits could be applied towards the business program degree.

[Lori D.]

Sorry Gabrial -- I keep cross-posting with you. ;)

 

Wow, thank you for the long response. Pretty much what my situation is is that I handed in a very basic high school transcript my junior year in order to qualify for federal aid. My parents or I did not sign any papers. that I'm aware of, establishing dual-enrollment status. I'm receiving a poll grant as of now….

 

 

I see now that you are a high school graduate in order to receive the Federal Pell Grant for your community college courses. So, disregard the freshman admissions requirements I listed in my post above.

 

One thing to be aware of: I believe you only eligible for a total of 6 years of federal financial aid to work towards a degree -- you have already used at least a year (two years?) of this option through the community college.

 

 

… The not qualifying for scholarships is a very big one for me. As much as I would like to get my degree before I join, I was planning on using my GPA and test scores to earn scholarships. Without scholarships, it is very hard for me to justify spending so much money when I can use the G.I. Bill to pay for at least some of the tuition following my service. I'm glad you brought this to my attention so early in my research process.

 

 

re: military service / GI Bill

Is the Military the ultimate goal? Or is it just a means to higher education?

 

If the Military is the goal, then Maize's suggestion of ROTC is very wise, as that would get you some scholarship money for the university, and would prepare you for entering the Military as an officer and thus at a higher pay scale. If this is your chosen vocational field, then Business would be less advantageous to advancement in the Military, compared to an engineering or science-based degree.

 

If the Military is a financial means to the goal of college -- setting aside for the moment the increased difficulty in even getting into the military, have you researched how much time you would need to serve and what the GI Bill actually provides? There have been changes to the GI Bill in recent years: "Top 10 FAQs on GI Bill Changes".

 

 

Since finances are a concern...

 

One route: is your community college tuition significantly cheaper than the University? AND, does the U. of Bloomington accept credits from the community college -- and if so, how many? You could continue at the community college and take as many courses as will transfer at the cheaper rate, plus receive the federal financial aid -- and don't forget to apply for scholarships that the community college offers!

 

Another route to reduce overall expense: CLEP tests. It looks like U of Bloomington does accept CLEP tests, but just a few. CLEP tests allow you to study the book at your own pace, then pay the few (usually around $125 per course), and schedule a testing time at the university's test center, and take the test; if you earn above a minimum score on the test, you are awarded the credit (but no GPA) for that course. You'll have to look at the specific courses required for the Business program to see if any of these CLEP tests are for specific courses required towards the Bachelor's degree.

 

Another route: If you were interested in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), you might look at applying for a SMART scholarship -- these are work-for-tuition, or reimbursement tuition, scholarships. The SMART scholarships are Federal monies for partial or full scholarships in the STEM fields, and you work for a number of years after graduation as a civilian for the military in a more research capacity. Additional benefits to the scholarship are a guaranteed job upon graduation, and the work experience it provides.

 

 

The courses were college level( college algebra, Eng. 101, U.S. History, etc.), and none were remedial.

 

As far as credits and the University:

Yes, looks like those are college level credits. So, they would be accepted by the U. of Bloomington -- BUT, the big question is, will that specific university accept those credits as counting towards the Business program or not? Some universities are very particular and while they accept the transfer credits, they only accept them as "electives" and do not count them toward fulfilling general education requirements or specific degree program requirements. You will have to speak with a U of Bloomington business program advisor (or admissions officer) to find out what will/won't transfer.

 

 

BEST of luck, as you consider all your options! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[Lori D.]

Wow, thank you for the long response. Pretty much what my situation is is that I handed in a very basic high school transcript my junior year in order to qualify for federal aid. My parents or I did not sign any papers. that I'm aware of, establishing dual-enrollment status. I'm receiving a poll grant as of now. The courses were college level( college algebra, Eng. 101, U.S. History, etc.), and none were remedial.

 

The not qualifying for scholarships is a very big one for me. As much as I would like to get my degree before I join, I was planning on using my GPA and test scores to earn scholarships. Without scholarships, it is very hard for me to justify spending so much money when I can use the G.I. Bill to pay for at least some of the tuition following my service. I'm glad you brought this to my attention so early in my research process.

 

One last thought: before assuming you are considered a college freshman, DO check with your state's homeschooling regulations -- you may be able to count those community college courses as dual enrollment, even if no paperwork was signed. If that is the case, then you would count those community college courses on your homeschool high school transcript towards high school credit (AND they would dual-count as college credit by the university), and have your family issue a final official transcript with a date of either this December, OR, in the spring, so that this current year would be considered your senior year of high school, and the classes at the community college that you are currently taking would still be counted as "dual enrollment" (regardless of lack of paper work).

 

In this case, you would also want to go ahead and take the ACT or SAT at some point (you register and pay online, and sign up for the date and location of your choice), as that is a requirement for admission to U. of Bloomington -- AND a high test score is what will help earn you scholarships.

 

You would also want to be applying for admission to U. of Bloomington this fall, to start there as a freshman NEXT fall. Here is the admissions page for homeschool students -- pretty much the same as the list of requirements in my above post.

 

 

The real problem here is the federal financial aid pell grant money -- from everything I am reading, it looks like "regular students" are the only students eligible for federal pell grants -- and I am assuming "regular student" means "college student", and that it does NOT include dual enrollment students. So, from a federal student aid, you may ONLY to able to apply to a university now as a transfer student...

 

If that is the case, and you have a good GPA (above 3.00) at the community college, look into joining your local Phi Theta Kappa (honor society) branch for community college students. It looks like members are eligible to apply for a $3000 transfer scholarship to the U. of Bloomington. Here are additional scholarship opportunities (for older/transfer students), and some places for looking for outside-the-school scholarships -- although, be aware that those outside organizations are usually national awards and VERY hard to get, and often require providing personal information which then means much junk mail is sent to your address, called to your phone, and sent to your email address… Consider limiting your contact info to only a new, separate email account.

 

Having to apply as a transfer student or continuing student is going to drastically reduce what you are eligible for. You might check out the "big book o' scholarships" at your local library:

 

- Kaplan Scholarships: Billions of Dollars of Free Money for College, by Gail Schlachter

- Peterson's Scholarships, Grants & Prizes 

 

 

[Michelle_NC]

This may be a stupid question, but as a homeschool can you not apply high school credit retroactively?  Yes, you technically graduated as far as the cc is concerned, but does the homeschool have to abide by the same graduation date?  Can you put credit on there but not specify when it was taken?

[Gabrial]

 

One last thought: before assuming you are considered a college freshman, DO check with your state's homeschooling regulations -- you may be able to count those community college courses as dual enrollment, even if no paperwork was signed. If that is the case, then you would count those community college courses on your homeschool high school transcript towards high school credit (AND they would dual-count as college credit by the university), and have your family issue a final official transcript with a date of either this December, OR, in the spring, so that this current year would be considered your senior year of high school, and the classes at the community college that you are currently taking would still be counted as "dual enrollment" (regardless of lack of paper work).

 

In this case, you would also want to go ahead and take the ACT or SAT at some point (you register and pay online, and sign up for the date and location of your choice), as that is a requirement for admission to U. of Bloomington -- AND a high test score is what will help earn you scholarships.

 

You would also want to be applying for admission to U. of Bloomington this fall, to start there as a freshman NEXT fall. Here is the admissions page for homeschool students -- pretty much the same as the list of requirements in my above post.

 

 

The real problem here is the federal financial aid pell grant money -- from everything I am reading, it looks like "regular students" are who are eligible for federal pell grants -- and I am assuming that does NOT include dual enrollment students. So, from a federal student aid, you may ONLY to able to apply to a university now as a transfer student...

 

 

 

Thanks you for all your help Lori. I will definitely check up on the regulations here in Missouri. Also, I was looking to apply next year, and start the year after that, and I was just trying to figure this out because I had planned on studying extrememely hard and taking both the SAT and at least three subject tests with it, in the hope that I would be eligible for financial aid.

 

I have to say I'm feeling a little bit of frustration that this was never discussed with me at the community college. I know it might not be something that they are required to discuss, but it is certainly a very big deal for me, as I'm only 17 and apparently I'm now almost one hundred percent for sure that I can no longer apply to colleges as a freshmen.

 

This is a real bummer because at 16 my parents gave me the option of being homeschooled, going to public school(we have a horrible, dangerous school system, so that was a no), or going to community college to finish high school. I decided community college. Now, this is where it gets tricky. I finished English 101 and college algebra as a dual enrollment student, however, this fall, I enrolled as a freshmen to receive financial aid, with me being completely ignorant of the ramifications of my actions. Well, since I had about 2 years course work left to finish before finishing high school, my parents handed in a non-descript "high school" transcript. Now, note, there was no falsification on the document. All it had was that I had passed a class(no description of the grade of the class on the transcript, and they didn't say anything about that fact) subject, it never specified grade or anything. Well, now I'm past the point that I can attend a public high school, but I'm left with the big problem that I was also relying heavily on those community college classes to complete my high school transcript. So now, I'm left with a high school transcript that ends at the tenth grade, and then the rest of the courses were done at the community college as a college freshmen.

 

I appreciate all the help. I'm going to talk to my community college about this, and ask if they know anything about the rules regarding homeschoolers, and if there is anyway to make it so that I can apply to colleges as a freshmen.

 

Also, college was a means to an end, not the the other way around. I have been planning on joining for four years now, and it was only over the last month or so that I have been considering college first. I plan on going enlisted into special operations, and I wanted to have a college degree both as a way to become an officer later in my career should I make it through the required training, or to have it in the event that I'm injured or dropped from training(there is a very high attrition rate in the career path I plan on following, and many are due to uncontrollable injuries).

 

I appreciate everyones help immensely. I will be contacting those in the know on Monday, and seeing what I can do about this situation.

[Lori D.]

… can you not apply high school credit retroactively?  Yes, you technically graduated as far as the cc is concerned, but does the homeschool have to abide by the same graduation date?  Can you put credit on there but not specify when it was taken?

 

No. Any courses taken at a community college or university that are not remedial (high school level) ARE accredited as college credit, so they cannot be counted as "just" high school credits any more.

 

And of course, you would never want to falsify any of your credits or records (although, I don't think you were suggesting that ;) ).

 

For ANY classes taken outside the home, you want to indicate on your homeschool transcript who provided those classes (online class, dual enrollment at a community college, etc.). Even if you don't include "completion dates" for credits on your transcript, those outside-the-home providers keep records of all dates and grades, and that can be verified by a university through a quick phone call.

 

Finally, any courses taken at a community college or university, even if taken as dual enrollment, are part of your permanent college record, and when you transfer to another university or community college, you are required to send copies of ALL past college transcripts to the new school. The dates, credits, and grades are part of those transcripts.

[Lori D.]

I have to say I'm feeling a little bit of frustration that this was never discussed with me at the community college. I know it might not be something that they are required to discuss, but it is certainly a very big deal for me, as I'm only 17 and apparently I'm now almost one hundred percent for sure that I can no longer apply to colleges as a freshmen.

 

This is a real bummer because at 16 my parents gave me the option of being homeschooled, going to public school(we have a horrible, dangerous school system, so that was a no), or going to community college to finish high school. I decided community college. Now, this is where it gets tricky. I finished English 101 and college algebra as a dual enrollment student, however, this fall, I enrolled as a freshmen to receive financial aid, with me being completely ignorant of the ramifications of my actions. Well, since I had about 2 years course work left to finish before finishing high school, my parents handed in a non-descript "high school" transcript. Now, note, there was no falsification on the document. All it had was that I had passed a class(no description of the grade of the class on the transcript, and they didn't say anything about that fact) subject, it never specified grade or anything. Well, now I'm past the point that I can attend a public high school, but I'm left with the big problem that I was also relying heavily on those community college classes to complete my high school transcript. So now, I'm left with a high school transcript that ends at the tenth grade, and then the rest of the courses were done at the community college as a college freshmen.

 

Your frustration is very understandable!

 

Gabrial, please don't beat yourself up! You are doing an incredible job of not only successfully taking college courses as a young high school student, but in walking through all of these VERY complicated administrative issues. College financial aid is VERY tricky; many schools do not have the most up-to-date information for helping students, esp. when it comes to students in unusual situations such as yours.

 

 

 I will definitely check up on the regulations here in Missouri.

 

…  I'm now almost one hundred percent for sure that I can no longer apply to colleges as a freshmen.

 

... I'm going to talk to my community college about this, and ask if they know anything about the rules regarding homeschoolers, and if there is anyway to make it so that I can apply to colleges as a freshmen.

 

... I will be contacting those in the know on Monday, and seeing what I can do about this situation.

 

Yes! Gabrial, don't give up hope yet. You have a very good handle of this situation, and very clear goals. Your young age may work in your favor in all of this, that this was an unintentional mistake that you would like to fix.

 

Best case would be:

1. you are reinstated with homeschooling status as a high school junior

2. you are allowed to continue taking classes at the community college for dual enrollment, which would allow you to simultaneously complete required credits for high school, AND be working towards

3. this would "erase" this year of federal financial aid from your record, allowing you a fresh start either next year or the following year when you would officially start as a college freshman

 

The big downside is that you would have to pay back the federal financial aid, and your family will have to pay for the community college courses. And, as a dual enrolled high school student, you would not be eligible for any scholarships or other aid that the community college might offer to regular college students. If you are reinstated as a homeschool high school student, you will ALSO want to make sure to be in contact with the federal financial aid office to make sure they give you a "clean slate", so that this year will NOT be counted against you, so you will still be able to receive full amount of aid in future years. This is very likely something you will have to stay on top of and remind them of next year, and esp. again if you are able to apply as a freshman to the university of your choice. (The federal gov't is a big agency, and paperwork often gets lost…)

 

The other potential downside would be how many college credits the U. of Bloomington (or whatever 4-year university you end up at) allows freshman students to come in with, and still be considered freshman. Many colleges have no limit, and some freshman come in with as many as 60 credits and even an Associate's degree. However other colleges limit that to 23-24, or even as few as 12 credits, and then you are considered a transfer student (which makes you ineligible for freshman scholarships).

 

The big plus is that if you are able to be reinstated as a homeschool high school student doing dual enrollment, you will be able to not only complete your high school transcript with all of the credits needed for graduation AND for college admission, but at an advanced level of work (college dual enrollment). And, you may be close to completing an Associate's degree at the same time. :)

 

Also, some states offer a special free or lower cost tuition for dual enrollment students, so that would also be something to check into. From the searches I did, I don't see that MO is one of those states, but that doesn't mean your community college doesn't offer something like that...

 

 

One thing that is really surprising to me in all of this is that the community college admitted you this year as a freshman without a diploma, without a completed high school transcript (i.e., enough credits to have completed high school), or a GED. In other words, proof of completion of high school or alternative (GED). I also find it very surprising that the community college does not require any paperwork for dual enrollment. It makes me wonder how they were tracking and crediting the courses you took last year as a homeschooled sophomore?  :confused1:

 

 

Gabrial, you are clearly a very capable and bright student, and I sincerely wish you every success! Please DO update us on your progress and the outcome of your appeal. And, you may want to try posting another thread asking for help from Missouri homeschoolers who may be able to help advocate or advise, or be able to walk through this situation with you. I do not live in MO, and don't know all the ins and outs of your state's homeschooling and dual enrollment policies. Warmest regards, Lori D.

[maize]

I just wanted to point out that you should NOT take the GED if you want to enlist. It puts you at a lower tier and it's unlikely they will accept you.

 

Another route to the enlistment though, is through the National Guard. They tend to have more $$ for fin aid than the Army and other branches. Just wanted to throw that out there. If you look at the ROTC route, we found the Army very nervous about going in with "too many" credits, as cadets need to be on campus for 4 years. AFROTC and NROTC were not near so freaked out about it. 

 

Margaret is right about not taking the GED, doing so can really complicate the enlistment process. Have you talked to a recruiter? If my memory serves, the best enlistment terms (tier 1) are available to someone with a high school diploma (including a homeschool diploma as long as your homeschool was in compliance with state law) OR at least 15 college credits. You would likely qualify on both counts. 

 

National Guard is a good thought, and would help you pay for college. Or if you really want to just enlist you could go ahead and sign up now (can they guarantee you special ops training? how would you feel if you ended up in a different specialty?), serve a term, maybe even take some college classes using tuition assistance benefits while active duty, then use GI Bill to go to school when you get out. I've also known prior enlisted folks who went through college with ROTC after their first term of enlistment. If you want a military career, I do strongly suggest taking the officer route; the better pay alone goes a long way towards making life more pleasant and less stressful.

[Gabrial]

 

 

 

Your frustration is very understandable!

 

Gabrial, please don't beat yourself up! You are doing an incredible job of not only successfully taking college courses as a young high school student, but in walking through all of these VERY complicated administrative issues. College financial aid is VERY tricky; many schools do not have the most up-to-date information for helping students, esp. when it comes to students in unusual situations such as yours.

 

 

 

Yes! Gabrial, don't give up hope yet. You have a very good handle of this situation, and very clear goals. Your young age may work in your favor in all of this, that this was an unintentional mistake that you would like to fix.

 

Best case would be:

1. you are reinstated with homeschooling status as a high school junior

2. you are allowed to continue taking classes at the community college for dual enrollment, which would allow you to simultaneously complete required credits for high school, AND be working towards

3. this would "erase" this year of federal financial aid from your record, allowing you a fresh start either next year or the following year when you would officially start as a college freshman

 

The big downside is that you would have to pay back the federal financial aid, and your family will have to pay for the community college courses. And, as a dual enrolled high school student, you would not be eligible for any scholarships or other aid that the community college might offer to regular college students. If you are reinstated as a homeschool high school student, you will ALSO want to make sure to be in contact with the federal financial aid office to make sure they give you a "clean slate", so that this year will NOT be counted against you, so you will still be able to receive full amount of aid in future years. This is very likely something you will have to stay on top of and remind them of next year, and esp. again if you are able to apply as a freshman to the university of your choice. (The federal gov't is a big agency, and paperwork often gets lost…)

 

The other potential downside would be how many college credits the U. of Bloomington (or whatever 4-year university you end up at) allows freshman students to come in with, and still be considered freshman. Many colleges have no limit, and some freshman come in with as many as 60 credits and even an Associate's degree. However other colleges limit that to 23-24, or even as few as 12 credits, and then you are considered a transfer student (which makes you ineligible for freshman scholarships).

 

The big plus is that if you are able to be reinstated as a homeschool high school student doing dual enrollment, you will be able to not only complete your high school transcript with all of the credits needed for graduation AND for college admission, but at an advanced level of work (college dual enrollment). And, you may be close to completing an Associate's degree at the same time. :)

 

Also, some states offer a special free or lower cost tuition for dual enrollment students, so that would also be something to check into. From the searches I did, I don't see that MO is one of those states, but that doesn't mean your community college doesn't offer something like that...

 

 

One thing that is really surprising to me in all of this is that the community college admitted you this year as a freshman without a diploma, without a completed high school transcript (i.e., enough credits to have completed high school), or a GED. In other words, proof of completion of high school or alternative (GED). I also find it very surprising that the community college does not require any paperwork for dual enrollment. It makes me wonder how they were tracking and crediting the courses you took last year as a homeschooled sophomore?  :confused1:

 

 

Gabrial, you are clearly a very capable and bright student, and I sincerely wish you every success! Please DO update us on your progress and the outcome of your appeal. And, you may want to try posting another thread asking for help from Missouri homeschoolers who may be able to help advocate or advise, or be able to walk through this situation with you. I do not live in MO, and don't know all the ins and outs of your state's homeschooling and dual enrollment policies. Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

 

Lori, I can not tell you how much I appreciate your help. Even if things don't work out the way I would like, you have given me hope that they might, and I appreciate that. Me and my parents will be working through this problem together, and they are more than willing to pay for dual enrollment, along with my amazing grandfather.

 

I will definately update this thread with how things go. I will be calling and discussing this with the community college first thing tomorrow morning.

 

I just wanted to point out that you should NOT take the GED if you want to enlist. It puts you at a lower tier and it's unlikely they will accept you.

 

Another route to the enlistment though, is through the National Guard. They tend to have more $$ for fin aid than the Army and other branches. Just wanted to throw that out there. If you look at the ROTC route, we found the Army very nervous about going in with "too many" credits, as cadets need to be on campus for 4 years. AFROTC and NROTC were not near so freaked out about it. 

 

 

Margaret is right about not taking the GED, doing so can really complicate the enlistment process. Have you talked to a recruiter? If my memory serves, the best enlistment terms (tier 1) are available to someone with a high school diploma (including a homeschool diploma as long as your homeschool was in compliance with state law) OR at least 15 college credits. You would likely qualify on both counts. 

 

National Guard is a good thought, and would help you pay for college. Or if you really want to just enlist you could go ahead and sign up now (can they guarantee you special ops training? how would you feel if you ended up in a different specialty?), serve a term, maybe even take some college classes using tuition assistance benefits while active duty, then use GI Bill to go to school when you get out. I've also known prior enlisted folks who went through college with ROTC after their first term of enlistment. If you want a military career, I do strongly suggest taking the officer route; the better pay alone goes a long way towards making life more pleasant and less stressful.

 

Thank you Margaret and Maize. The funny part is that I got into this current mess because I was only looking to finish my 15 credits for tier 1 status, and me and my parents were not informed as to how the freshmen status stuff worked.

 

As for the suggestions of the National Guard, though I would do it if I could, the rules for prior service for Naval Special Warfare are strict, and it is rare that even memebers of the fleet(regular navy) gain admittance to these schools. Also, I'm aware of the better quality of life as an officer, however, in the job I'm trying out for, enlisted are far more likely to be given the chance at a career(20 years), as spots for officer advancement are limited and competitive. I'm also looking at college as a way to grow and mature, and give this thought of signing a contract for six years of my life some time to make sure that it is right, as well as giving me more time to train.