Is American School accredited?
Yes! American School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), Ai (Accreditation International) and the NCPSA (National Council for Private School Accreditation). American School is also recognized as a non-public secondary school by the Illinois State Board of Education. For more information, visit www.americanschoolofcorr.com/accreditation.
I graduated from American School or am currently a student. Can you send me my transcript?
Please download this transcript release form and follow the directions on it. If you need assistance, please contact the Student Service Department by phone at 708-418-2800 during normal business hours or by email. You may also order paper or electronic transcripts through Parchment. Click here for more information and click the button below to order transcripts through Parchment. Please note that a signed release form is required before we release any transcript or duplicate diploma.
I graduated from American School but lost my diploma. Can you send me a replacement?
Effective March 1, 2017, American School offers duplicate diplomas at a cost of $25 each. The $25 covers the cost of a duplicate diploma only and does not include a case or tassel. You may request duplicate diplomas by completing and submitting this duplicate diploma request form or by sending us an email to begin the process. Payment must be received before duplicate diplomas are sent. Please not that a signed release form is required before we release any transcript or duplicate diploma.
How do I get a copy of American School's Student Handbook?
Click here to access a copy of our Student Handbook.
How old do I have to be to enroll?
There is no minimum or maximum age to enroll. American School accepts students of all ages for American School middle school courses, but students must show proof of completing eighth grade before enrolling in American School high school courses.
Will I get credit for the work that I have completed at another high school?
Yes, if you have attended an accredited high school. Upon receipt of an official transcript from your previous school, you will be given credit for the courses you completed and passed, with the exception of religion, physical education, music, driver's education, and ROTC. Please have a transcript sent from your previous high school directly to our enrollments department at 2200 East 170th Street, Lansing, IL 60438 or email it to us.
Does American School accept homeschooling credit?
If you have been home schooled or attended a non-accredited school, you may be eligible to establish up to 5 units of credit by successfully passing (with a grade of 75% or better) comprehensive examinations offered by American School. There is a non-refundable fee for each comprehensive examination, and you must be enrolled for at least 9 units of credit from American School to be eligible to take comprehensive examinations. Please note that the American School does not provide review materials for comprehensive examinations. We do not send comprehensive examinations to students who have already received American School materials for the subject(s), nor to students whose sibling(s) or family members have received American School materials for that subject. Students enrolled in supervised or tutorial programs are not eligible to receive comprehensive examinations. Contact our Principal's office for more information or if you wish to take these comprehensive examinations.
How does American School work?
For most paper-based courses, students are sent a textbook and study guide. The textbook is often produced by one of the major textbook publishers. Some of them are even custom-published exclusively for American School. The study guide contains unit discussions, self-check tests and the unit examinations which the students will complete and mail to the School for grading. For other print-based courses, students are sent a textbook and examination booklet. In these courses, the textbook contains unit discussions and self-check tests, and the examination booklet contains the unit examinations which the students will complete and mail to American School for grading. Students may start working the moment they receive their study materials in the mail, and they work entirely at their own pace throughout the duration of their program. Please note that policies and procedures for our online courses are slightly different. Refer to our Online Learning page for more information.
How will I receive my materials for paper-based courses?
Students who live in the contiguous United States and are in the General High School or College Preparatory program will receive their first shipment of books via FedEx. Students who live in the contiguous United States and are in the Independent Study program will receive all their books via FedEx. Students who live in Alaska or Hawaii or who have an APO address will receive all their books via FedEx regardless of their program. Finally, students who live in foreign countries will receive all their books via FedEx regardless of their program. Additional charges for students residing overseas may apply.
If I enrolled before November 1, 2013, how may I take an online course?
For students in our paper-based diploma programs who enrolled before November 1, 2013, full unit online courses cost an additional $190 each, and half units of online courses cost an additional $170 each. If a student drops the course within 90 days of enrollment, the American School will retain a $50 withdrawal fee plus $5 for each completed module.
If I enrolled after November 1, 2013, how may I take an online course?
Students who enrolled in our paper-based diploma programs after November 1, 2013, may enroll in 2 (two) full or half unit online courses at no additional charge. These courses must be part of your graduation requirements. Additional full-unit online courses can be purchased for $190 each, and half units of online courses cost $170 each. Online course withdrawal fees will not apply to these 2 courses. This policy is effective January 1, 2015.
What is American School's academic integrity policy (honor system)?
In pursuing your studies with American School, you are expected to follow the honor system. Under the honor system, it is permissible to benefit from the exchange of ideas with other students, friends or family members and to use your textbook, study guide and other resources while you work on your courses and complete your exams, but any work on examinations is expected to be your own thoughts and ideas. Your examinations must show what you have learned. You may not represent someone else's work as your own.
If you do not adhere to the honor system, you should expect disciplinary action, which may include retaking an examination or dropping a subject for another. Repeated violations may result in your dismissal from American School or an invalidation of any examination grades.
All materials printed by American School are copyrighted. Supplying copies of questions and answers to other people is a violation of federal laws forbidding infringement of copyright and may be prosecuted thereunder. Therefore, you may not provide answers on examinations to other people, whether they are students of American School or not.
What is American School's grading scale?
For students in the General High School program and the College Preparatory program, our grading scale is:
A: 93-100
B: 85-92
C: 76-84
D: 65-75
Partial: Below 65
I: Incomplete
Who is considered a full-time student?
To achieve full-time enrollment status, a student must complete at least 5 Carnegie units of credit a year and have submitted work consistently during at least nine months of the year. If achieved, American School will verify a student’s full-time enrollment status for federal and state programs, medical insurance, child support agencies, Social Security Administration, and/or any other program requiring such verification, if requested. If a student has fallen below this standard, the student must submit work consistently for three consecutive months before American School will verify full-time enrollment status. Please contact the School Counselor’s Office at (708) 418-2800 or guidance@americanschool.org if you have further questions regarding this matter.
What are the graduation requirements?
American School offers two high school diploma programs – the General High School Program and the College Preparatory Program. In each program the student is required to complete 20 units of credit. At least 5 credits must be completed with American School to receive our diploma. In addition, all students must complete Consumer Economics and the United States/Illinois Constitution exam in accordance with Illinois State Board of Education guidelines.
How long do I have to complete my course(s)?
In general, students in either of our diploma programs have 4 years to complete their entire program. Students in our Independent Study program or who take individual courses for enrichment have 1 year from the date of enrollment to complete their paper-based courses, 6 months from the date of enrollment to complete a half-unit online course and 1 year from the date of enrollment to complete a full-unit online course. Regardless of your program, you can work at your own pace and may be able to finish in less than the maximum completion time.
Can I go to college with an American School diploma?
Many American School graduates go on to college after completing our college preparatory course. They are usually admitted – as are students from any high school – on the basis of their scores on tests such as the SAT or the ACT and their grades with American School. Some states, such as New York, however, have public universities which will not accept students holding a distance education diploma, and these public universities will require such students to take the GED, TASC or another high school equivalency exam to gain admission. We suggest that you review the admissions standards with the college of your choice prior to enrolling and contact our Guidance Department if you have questions or need further assistance. Our school counselor will be happy to assist you. If you are interested in attending an accredited online college or university, please visit www.accreditedonlinecolleges.org for a list of accredited online colleges and universities.
What is American School's ACT-SAT code?
140650
What is American School's FAFSA code?
07016272Y010000
For more assistance with FAFSA, please call 1-800-433-3243 or visit https://studentaidhelp.ed.gov/app/home/site/fafsa
May credits earned for American School courses be used for NCAA initial eligibility to participate in college sports?
At this time, American School courses may not be used to meet the NCAA core course requirements for initial eligibility for Division I or Division II sports or for NJCAA and NAIA purposes. This decision was not based on the content of our courses but, rather, on issues involving interaction with students in "nontraditional" courses. You should not apply to take our courses if you plan on playing sports for a school affiliated with the organizations listed above. If you have further questions about college eligibility, please contact our guidance department.
What is American School's position on the Common Core State Standards Initiative?
American School, a not for profit distance learning institution utilizing the home study method, is dedicated to providing quality secondary instruction at a reasonable cost to those students who are seeking an alternative means of completing their high school education. We fulfill our mission, in part, informed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative, but we are not bound by those standards. Common Core State Standards are simply learning goals and are not a curriculum. They do not dictate instructional methodologies or paper-based or online materials used within subjects. Rather, Common Core State Standards establish clear and measurable goals for what students should know, understand and be able to accomplish at the end of a course or grade. American School reaffirms its commitment to allowing students to study at their own pace and to utilize, as they see fit, the paper-based or online study materials given to them so that they may reach or exceed any goal that is placed before them.
After I enroll can I transfer from one high school program to another?
Students may make one transfer between high school programs at no additional charge unless they need to add additional units to meet the specific requirements of the program into which they are transferring. That is, a student in the General High School program may transfer into the College Preparatory High School program or vice versa with no charge for making the transfer itself. For any subsequent transfer between the two programs, there is a charge of $50 to help cover our administrative costs in changing a student’s program.
Can I take more subjects than I am required to take for graduation?
Students may add additional units to their program of study beyond what they are required to take for graduation at the prevailing rate for taking individual subjects with the School. Please contact either the Admissions department or the Student Service department for additional information.
What if I just want to take individual subjects with American School?
If you do not wish to enroll in a high school program to receive a diploma from American School, you may enroll to take individual subjects for credit recovery or enrichment by using the individual subject application on our enrollment page.
Can I enroll in American School if I reside in a foreign country?
Yes, but because the U.S. Postal Service no longer provides Surface Mail for overseas deliveries, Air Mail service for delivery of course materials and graded examinations is required. Additional charges for postage will be added to the tuition cost listed on each enrollment application.
What is American School's cancellation or refund policy?
American School's cancellation or refund policy is clearly stated on all enrollment applications.
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