Dear_________

Homeschooled students in New York State are facing discrimination from the state itself!  As a parent educating my children at home, I would urge you to help change the policies that are causing great difficulty to home school students entering and graduating college in New York, and specifically, the SUNY system.

 Homeschooled students have a proven track record of excellence.  Achievement test scores indicate their performance to be in the mid-80th percentile, significantly above the public school norm. They are consistently proving their skills in the various national spelling and geography bees as well.  Colleges recruiting and enrolling our students consider them to be of the highest caliber.

In recognition of these achievements, we would request that a home school student and parent be allowed to self certify high school completion and their fulfillment of NYS Ed. Regulations 100.1.  A transcript from the parents should also be recognized as valid by colleges admitting homeschooled students.

Additionally, since homeschool students have completed the course work required by he State of New York it is discriminatory to insist that the GED be taken, since it indicates that the course work was inadequate.  The GED also inaccurately labels a homeschool student as one who failed to complete high school course work, and may actually be a hindrance to future endeavors, including military service.

 At the present time, homeschooled students currently enrolled in college are facing denial of a college diploma, not because they are not excelling at their course work, but simply due to the discriminatory regulations of the State of New York.  I strongly urge you to halt this discrimination and allow students to be granted a college diploma based on their ability, rather than on their paperwork.

Thanks you for your consideration of this important issue.