If you are a Public / Private / Cyber / Charter School student transferring to the MDHSA Diploma Program – click here for important information about receiving your diploma from MDHSA.
Visual learner? Watch our Getting Started video!
FIRST: DIPLOMA GUIDE
A parent who desires to have a student participate in the MDHSA Diploma Program must first order a Diploma Guide. The Diploma Guide, itself, is NOT available on this website. It must be ordered via this website or by mailing the order and payment to the MDHSA office. A hard copy ($7.50) or PDF version ($4.75) is available for purchase. For online orders, use the Publications page. Please allow 1-2 weeks for a mailed hard-copy, and up to 2 business days for an emailed PDF copy. If ordering by mail, please use the ORDER FORM. Only one Diploma Guide per family is needed.
A partial listing of some of the Diploma Guide Topics includes:
- Portfolio/evaluation requirements
- College
- Course Titles
- Honorary diplomas
- Transfer Students
- Students with disabilities waiver
- Earning Credits
- Coursework accumulated in more than one year
- MUCH more!
Both the parent and student must read the Diploma Guide, as both parties must sign the Registration Form stating that they have read the Guide AND have read the Advisement in the Diploma Guide. This ensures that both the student and parent understand their responsibilities and the procedures involved in the Diploma Program.
SECOND: REGISTER WITH THE DIPLOMA PROGRAM
After receiving and reading the Diploma Guide, complete the Diploma Program Registration Form to enroll your student in the program. You can use the online registration form and pay via PayPal or you can print a hard copy and mail it along with a check payable to MDHSA. Once you are registered, you will receive a Welcome email that will give you basic information about the program and provide you with the Diploma Program Participant Password that allows you to access certain restricted forms.
Registration is recommended sometime during 9th grade, even if the accompanying documentation will not be sent until later. This will ensure that MDHSA has contact information for the student in the event there is a change in Program Policy, Forms, or Procedures, or if a third-party requires verification of Program enrollment, such as College Admissions or SAT testing facilities. However, registration at a later date is permitted, if needed.
In order for the Program to be in compliance with the MDHSA agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, MDHSA MUST HAVE COPIES OF ALL EVALUATIONS AND ANNUAL SUMMARY FORMS AND TRANSCRIPTS. If you do not have evaluations for each year of high school, then an official public/private/charter school transcript is required for the missing years.
Follow the instructions in the Diploma Guide or in the Diploma Program Forms section of this website for specific situations, such as transfer students, or transferring from the private tutorial program in PA.
If an MDHSA Evaluator is currently not being used as the student’s Evaluator, you may ask your current Evaluator to complete the Evaluator Agreement on this website OR you may peruse the current Evaluator List to see if there is an Evaluator you would like to contact. An MDHSA-approved Evaluator MUST be used for Diploma Program Students. Failure to use a non-approved Evaluator may result in the student not being eligible to receive an MDHSA diploma.
Thank you for your interest in the MDHSA Diploma Program!
“You have been very encouraging…,You have always been patient and kind with your explanations of procedures. I have never felt ‘put off’ or hurried when I called. Thank you again for your support.”
-Diploma Program Parent