Posted on 12/09/2005 9:02:12 PM PST by davidosborne
It has recently been brought to my attention that there are MANY homeschooled kids that are having problems getting into the military. Aparently local recruiters are not being very helpful.
If anyone out there has some experience in this area please let me know.
This problem seems to be much bigger than just here in Tallahassee.
The recruiters are saying that the "SCHOOL" must issue some document before the ASVAB can be administered, and the schools have no idea what they are talking about.
As a U.S. Army Drill Sergeant I should know the solution to this problem, but since I don't I am looking to my fellow FReepers for input.
Thanks.
I don't believe thats true. When I joined the military I took the ASVAB at MEPS. The problem must be that the home-schooled prospective recruits do not have the documentation (proof of HS diploma or home school equivalent) to even start at MEPS. They could take the GED, but I hear that many of services are trying to reduce the number of GED recruits accepted. As far as I'm concerned, if a prospective recruit has a GED and a decent ASVAB score and they have the confidence of the recruiter to start an enlistment process, there is no reason a service should reject them (unless they don't have a job for them).
And where exactly would one obtain such documents.. that is the Million Dollar Question...
BINGO !!!
And where exactly would one obtain such documents.. that is the Million Dollar Question...
Looks like you make it:
http://www.boxfreeconcepts.com/edserv/
I find the "comments" of the folks who have signed this petition against HR 1815 MUCH more enlightening than the text of the actual petition!......especially because HR 1815 contains the following:
(3) An exemption of graduates of home schooling from the requirement for a secondary school diploma or an equivalent (GED) as a precondition for enlistment in the Armed Forces.
scanning the comments of the petition signatories will convince anyone that this is a group with aims OTHER THAN helping home-schooled kids to enlist in the Armed Services.
this link allows one to read the comments of the signatories:
http://new.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?hr1815
I'm not sure who is who or what is what on this thread
As an aside--the Navy Nuclear Program was paying for a years worth of college for students (and paying them E-1 pay and benefits) to reduce the attrition rate once they entered the nuclear pipeline (I met several graduates of that program). This program is very successful and may be employed in other situations where training has a high attrition rate. Economically this may make sense only for nuclear and aviation rates (due to the very high cost of training) but I believe it is showing a trend that the military wants a decent education for prospective recruits.
Federal Law Allows For Homeschoolers to Enter Military
Over the years, home schoolers have had difficulty entering the military because they did not have high school diplomas from an accredited school. All branches of the armed forces relegated potential home school recruits to Tier II status, which is reserved for high school dropouts. Tier I was reserved for high school graduates and those with some college. (For most of the armed forces, Tier I candidates only have to score 31 on the military’s aptitude test while Tier II candidates have to score 50).
This made it very difficult for home schoolers, especially since the Air Force and Marines decided had decided that they would accept only Tier I candidates. Only about 10% of all Navy and Army enlistees were Tier II candidates.HSLDA was inundated with testimonies from home schoolers who scored over the 90th percentile on the military’s aptitude test, met all the military’s eligibility requirements, and yet were rejected simply because they did not have an accredited diploma.
HSLDA persuaded Senator Coverdell to introduce an amendment to H.R. 3616, the Defense Authorization bill to end this discrimination against home schoolers. The bill creates a five-year pilot project automatically placing home school recruits into the Tier I status. Each of the armed forces must allow up to 1,250 home school diploma recipients to be considered under the Tier I status along with all other high school graduates.
The bill passed the Senate, the conference committee, and subsequently passed both the House and Senate. The President signed the bill into law on October 17, 1998. It became effective immediately.
The most important sections of the new law states:
Sec. 571. PILOT PROGRAM FOR TREATING GED AND HOME SCHOOL DIPLOMA RECIPIENTS AS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES FOR DETERMINATIONS OF ELIGIBILITY FOR ENLISTMENT IN THE ARMED FORCES.
... (b) Persons Eligible Under the Pilot Program as High School Graduates.—Under the pilot program, a person shall be treated as having graduated from high school with a high school diploma for the purpose described in subsection (a) if—
... (2) the person is a home school diploma recipient and provides a transcript demonstrating completion of high school to the military department involved under the pilot program.
(c) GED and Home School Diploma Recipients.—For the purposes of this section—
... (2) a person is a home school diploma recipient if the person has received a diploma for completing a program of education through the high school level at a home school, without regard to whether the home school is treated as a private school under the law of the State in which located.”
Under this new law, home schoolers seeking enlistment in one of the four branches of the military must provide a high school diploma, a high school transcript, pass the military aptitude test, and meet any physical and other eligibility requirements for recruitment.
This means military recruiters must accept a home school diploma or transcript regardless of the teachers’ relationship to the student. Furthermore, a transcript or diploma prepared by the parent, as well as a high school diploma or transcript issued by a non-accredited home school correspondence course satisfies the law’s intent. No additional educational documentation is required.
Home school students seeking to enlist in the any of the four armed forces cannot be rejected, as in the past, simply on the basis of not possessing an accredited high school diploma. (HSLDA will continue to assist any member families who have difficulty with local recruiters who may not understand the new law).
According to W.S. Sellman, Director of Accession Policy at the Pentagon, all that is necessary to demonstrate academic eligibility is for the home school graduate to produce a “letter from a parent with a list of completed coursework.” (See attached letter). This letter is significant since the Director of Accession is in charge of the recruitment policy for each of the armed forces.
In response to the new federal law, the Army has announced, “Young men and women who gain their high school diploma through home schooling can now receive the same Army benefits as those students who graduate from a traditional high school.” Home school graduates can now receive an enlistment bonus of $12,000 for enlistment in certain military occupational specialties and up to $40,000 from the Army College Fund for college tuition.
The Navy wasted no time making a new policy. “Effective immediately, a person with a home school diploma will be classified as being in a Tier I status for enlistment purposes ... A home school applicant can score 31 or greater on the ASVB\AFQT.”
The other branches are also in the process of opening their doors. Brig. General Sutton, charged with leading the Air Force Recruiting Service, announced, “We want to reach out to homeschoolers and let them know they have a place in our nation’s Air Force.” They They now recognize homeschoolers as high school graduates. The Marines have also made changes to their policies to allow for the recruitment of homeschool students. Unfortunately, this five-year pilot program was due for expiration on September 30, 2003, causing many homeschool recruits to face renewed difficulty in enlisting, as military recruiters assumed the program was ending. Anticipating this need, Home School Legal Defense Association Senior Counsel, Chris Klicka, worked behind the scenes with the White House and the Military Recruiting Command to ensure the continuance of Tier I status for homeschoolers in the military. This pressure convinced the Department of Defense to extend the pilot program for another year while the Center for Naval Analysis conducts a study of the success of homeschoolers in the military. Thus, homeschoolers will continue to be eligible for Tier I status through September 30, 2004. This will keep the doors wide open for homeschoolers who seek to serve their country. Meanwhile, HSLDA will continue to work with the Department of Defense and we expect homeschoolers to be given Tier I status permanently, either by the military or by Congress.
Reprint permission granted. Prepared by the legal staff of the National Center for Home Education, P.O. Box 3000, Purcellville, VA 20134, (540) 338-7600
In the State of Washington, I don't think that there is any problem with kids taking the ASVAB.
Both of my sons were home-schooled, and both went to the local High School and took the ASVAB when in their 10th grade year. (The older boy got super high scores, and the recruiters were sorely disappointed to discover he was only 14.)
But as remarked elsewhere, a semester of college courses can alleviate any concerns about the academic record of a home-schooler. Another family I know had 2 children join the Marines, and both are doing fine. Both were home-schooled through 12th grade, and both did about 1 year of college courses at the local community college.
Sometimes, it might be necessary to get the GED. My daughter was offered a 4 year ROTC Scholarship (Navy, nursing program), but the 4 year college was willing to accept her if she did the GED (a minor condition, since she had 2 quarters of college courses.)
Parents can prepare a "high school transcript" ... and we had no problems with the transcript submitted for our older boy, when he started at the Naval Academy. (Of course, since he had 2 years of college courses via Running Start for his 11th and 12th grade year, and had a 3.93 GPA - with heavy math/physics and chem. courses ... no one could accuse the parents of hyping his high school grades when his college grades looked pretty good!)
Bottom line ... there are ways to work the system!! The biggest thing to remember is for the prospective recruit to get as much information to ensure he/she finds the best fit/program to match interests/desires and skills. Good SAT scores, good ASVAB scores, and perhaps some college courses will all help make an attractive package.
R/ Mike
We homeschooled through highschool and our son received lots of calls from recruiters, particularly Navy recruiters, his senior year. I always wondered where they got our son's name and number.
One of our son's friends, who was also homeschooled, is at West Point and our son was accepted at the Citadel.
BTTT
I think I can answer this. I am the Navy Liaison at a MEPS, so I've run into this before.
Recruiters don't like homeschoolers, period. Not because they are smarter, but the amount of legwork required. Homeschoolers have much more to prove in terms of documentation than a regular, joe-blow who just graduated from the town high school.
First of all, they are considered a Tier-II graduate, whilst Joe Blow above is a Tier-I. Think of it as a term for quality of education. We all know homeschoolers receive a much better quality education, but it's the Gummitt we're talking about.
Second, they'll need proof from the parents that they did hold school 180 days a year for x amount of years.
Third, they'll need proof from whatever State saying they've earned thier diploma (or will earn it within a year).
Now, Recruiters have to take all that to their District HQ and have their Education Specialist look into it. This can take 1 day, or 1 week. Once Edspec says good to go, begin processing applicant.
That's it in a nutshell, hope it helps.
Oh, and that whole ASVAB line is BS. Parental permission is NOT required to take the ASVAB, either at a MEPS or MET site.
Parental permission is absolutely required before the physical can be conducted. No permission = no physical = no swear in. ASVABS are just fine, tho.
Homeschooling does not equal staying home. (Unfortunately, for this road weary mom.) ;-)
http://www.nheld.com/articles.htm#mostrecent
This organization has taken an opposite stand on the HSLDA-endorsed bill.
I know several home scholars who have had no problems
with military recruiters and are currently serving their country.
Thanks for replying. It gave me the opportunity to see how I spelled school.As to the previous message, that was my weak effort at humor.
HSLDA.org is the best site to gather current information/help in this area of concern, David. Please contact them! :o)
Every homeschooler I know has a running CUM file and transcripts for their students..especially high school students. They also produce diplomas.
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