Can someone explain the US school system to me?

[JennyMominRI]

I just wanted to add that Homeschooling is legal in the UK and homeschoolers there report to no one for any reason..Only if educational neglect is suspected does anyone step in and monitor in any way... There are an estimated 50,000 homeschoolers in the UK,and it is gaining in popularity

 

[Laurajean1014]

In my town, of my state, grades start at: Preschool to 8th grade. 9-12th grade is high school. In order to pass from 8th to 9th, you must take a test.

This test allows the system to determine if you are better for academics or vocational or comprehensive studies. In order to receive a diploma or to graduate to college, you much achieve better than a D average in all studies and required classes.

If you are in the top 15%, you will probably be looking at colleges. If lower, than college is still an option, as well as, other forms of learning and employment.

 

[Disney Debbie]

GA has the different "seals" on the diploma as well. College, Vo-Tech and General. My DD had a dual seal - college & vo-tech. GA also has the Hope scholarship program funded by the lottery. If you have a B average in High school - and maintain it in college - then the state pays your tuition and gives you a VERY small stipend of $150 for books But that's better then nothing! So we've pretty much told DD we aren't paying for college for her - because if we have to pay - it means she isn't maintaining the B avg - and that's HER fault! She maintained it last year (freshman year at GA Southern) and she's one of the few of her friends that did! Glad she takes us seriously!

 

[N.Bailey]

UK post-secondary education: when I went to university in the halcyon days of the 1970s all tuition was paid by the state whichever uni you went to. On top of that was a generous grant that provided sufficient funds to pay for accommodation, food, books, and socialising that was paid on a sliding scale according to parental income from full to about 20%. For those from low income families, higher education was free and heavily subsidised for most others. Consequently very few students had part time jobs and we basically lived a very nice life. The living expenses grant was discontinued some years ago and then tuition fees were introduced at a fixed rate of around $2000 for all universities. From 2007 universities are free to charge whatever fees they like so the days of any student being able to attend the best universities may soon be over. Students now finance their studies by cheap student loans, part time work, and parental support. My DD1 has massive debts and works late nights waitressing (and we are lucky in that my low income means that her tuition fees are paid by the state.) Things have certainly changed here.

It's not unheard of for some private colleges here to run $20,000 a year or more.

 

[N.Bailey]

GA has the different "seals" on the diploma as well. College, Vo-Tech and General. My DD had a dual seal - college & vo-tech. GA also has the Hope scholarship program funded by the lottery. If you have a B average in High school - and maintain it in college - then the state pays your tuition and gives you a VERY small stipend of $150 for books But that's better then nothing! So we've pretty much told DD we aren't paying for college for her - because if we have to pay - it means she isn't maintaining the B avg - and that's HER fault! She maintained it last year (freshman year at GA Southern) and she's one of the few of her friends that did! Glad she takes us seriously!

I think I'm moving to Georgia.

 

[triplefigs]

I think I'm moving to Georgia.

I just hope that the Hope Scholarship doesn't run out of money by the time my triplets are 18! They WILL have a B average~

The Hope Scholarship pays tuition at any of the PUBLIC Georgia Colleges and a stipend amount for the Private ones (Emory, GA Tech, Agnes Scott, etc). The flip side is now that the State of Georgia has the Hope scholarship, all those brilliant kids who used to go to private school out of state are now staying home. Univ of Georgia is one of the hardest schools to get into now, with average grades and SAT scores similar to the Ivy League Schools, Duke, UNC, etc. Lot of kids with the "B" average are heading to Jr. College for 2 years and then transferring into the bigger 4 year schools like Univ of Georgia, Georgia Southern, Georgia State. Oh, and if you're an employee of Emory and your children are accepted there, they go to school tuition-free!