Online high school is a great option for alternative schooling. Online schools for grades K-12 offer convenience, flexibility, and the ability earn a high school diploma from home. All these benefits are convincing more and more students to ditch the rigid traditional school format for a more student-centric model of education.
For students considering a career in the military after high school, attending an online high school can be a concern as military branches tend to accept limited numbers of recruits from non-traditional school formats. In fact, the U.S. military shows inconsistency in accepting online high school diplomas if they do not come from an accredited school or if a school is not publically (government) approved by the Department of Education in the state where the school is located.
This is a nerve-racking scenario for military hopefuls, and often keeps these teens in a public school setting as not to risk non-acceptance after high school graduation.
Fortunately, tides are beginning to change in favor of online high schools. At the beginning of 2012, the president signed the National Defense Authorization Act which among other things turned virtual schools from Tier II (less acceptable) to Tier I (more acceptable) to increase recruiting of alternatively educated students, including online students and homeschoolers. It's true this act is a positive step forward of the military's willingness to change with the times.
However, the U.S. military still holds a mostly closed mind to non-public virtual schools, which unfortunately includes most private online schools. When considering online school and a future military career, the best advice is to contact your local branch recruiter and find out their requirements before deciding on a school. While private online school graduates can be accepted by the military, this appears to be completely at the discretion of the recruiter.
Has your online student had success in being accepted by the military?