High School Policies and Procedures

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR FULL-YEAR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

The cost of tuition includes all study materials, grading services, access to the Online Student Center, and postage to U.S. locations. All book shipments will be made to United States shipping addresses only. No packages will be sent to addresses outside the United States. Special mail services are provided at an additional charge.

With your standard down payment of $200.00, you will receive one print-based course and/or access to all online courses. Print-based courses will be sent based on payment schedule. For example, the second course will be sent when the second payment is received, the third course will be sent when the third payment is received, etc. Based on the payment schedule, a student will have access to all courses by the sixth month of enrollment.

If a monthly installment plan is selected, all payments must be made when due regardless of the student’s study progress. If the account becomes delinquent 60 or more days, access to services will be denied. The enrollment period continues to elapse during periods of suspensions and delinquencies. Tuition and other fees must be paid in full before a transcript of credit is released. The total balance must be paid in full before additional courses can be added to the student’s enrollment. This contract will cease to be in effect one year from the original date of acceptance, and no requests for refunds will be considered thereafter.

Students are expected to complete at least five (5) units of credit per year. Students must complete all courses within one (1) year (12 months) of the enrollment date. For any course, students must complete all requirements. Any unfinished assignments will be assigned a grade of zero, which may result in a failing grade for the entire course. Students may begin the next year of the enrollment contract when all exams have been submitted or completed.

An Academic Advisor will contact you once your application has been accepted to schedule your first year of courses. If you are claiming previous credits, it is best to send your transcript with your enrollment application for processing to avoid delays in finalizing your course selections.

American School will need a copy of your official high school transcripts to evaluate for transfer credits. We only accept credits from other accredited schools. We do not accept credits in physical education, driver’s education, religion, performing arts (choir, band, etc.) and ROTC. Official transcripts must come directly from the issuing high school in a sealed envelope. Transcripts will be considered unofficial if the envelope has been opened. You may send a copy of the transcripts with your enrollment application or you may contact your previous high school(s) to request the transcript(s) be mailed to us. We will contact you once the transcript has been evaluated to inform you of the results and of any possible changes to the enrollment contract.

Illinois Residents: Per 325 ILCS 50/Missing Children Records Act and 325 ILCS 55/Missing Children Registration Law, all students residing in Illinois are required to submit a birth certificate in order to enroll. In addition, all students residing in Illinois are strongly encouraged to complete the Public Law 195 Exam covering the U.S. and Illinois Constitutions plus flag etiquette because the exam is required by public schools in Illinois and is an entrance requirement at the majority of Illinois-based community colleges.

We strive to provide our students with the most current version of courses; therefore, courses are subject to change. Availability of courses is dependent on educational providers and publishers. Notices are often provided via the American School blog and official American School Facebook and Twitter pages.

After enrollment, you will be asked to select elective courses. Please respond to the request within 30 days of receiving the request in order for your program to be finalized and allow yourself ample time to complete your courses. Visit www.americanschool.org/courses to see a list of available courses.

I understand that the monthly payment selected above must be paid every 30 days until the balance is fully paid. No interest/finance charges are included; therefore, the annual percentage rate is 0%. American School CANNOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CURRENCY SENT BY MAIL. PAYMENT MUST BE MADE IN U.S. FUNDS ONLY. THIS AGREEMENT BECOMES A LEGALLY BINDING INSTRUMENT WHEN SIGNED BY THE STUDENT/GUARANTOR AND ACCEPTED BY AMERICAN SCHOOL AT 2200 EAST 170TH STREET, LANSING, ILLINOIS 60438.

HONOR SYSTEM AGREEMENT

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. Although you may study with others, any work on the exams is expected to be of your own thoughts and ideas. Your exams must show what you have learned. You may not represent someone else’s work as your own. You may not buy, sell, or provide in any way, answers from graded assignments and exams to anyone else. You may not share your login information with anyone else other than the guarantor on the account, for the purpose of making course content available.

If you do not adhere to the honor system, you should expect disciplinary action, which may include retaking an exam or dropping a course for another. Repeated violations may result in invalidation of any exam grades and/or your dismissal from American School.

All materials published 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 exams to other people, whether they are students of American School or not.

By signing and submitting this application, you agree to follow American School’s Honor System.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Compulsory School Attendance: It is the responsibility of the student/parent(s)/guardian(s) to meet the compulsory school attendance requirements of the student’s home state and comply with the legal requirements of the student’s home state’s homeschool laws.

Graduation Requirements: You must complete 20 units of required credits in order to earn a diploma from American School. Though you may transfer credit from other accredited institutions, you must successfully complete at least 5 units of credit with American School in order to earn a diploma from American School.

Students must complete at least 5 units of credit with American School and fulfill all graduation requirements in order to be eligible to earn an American School diploma. Graduation requirements are listed on www.americanschool.org/high-school. Students must complete all diploma requirements within six (6) years of the original enrollment date. Graduation requirements may change if a student does not complete all requirements within that timeframe.

Accreditation: American School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), the National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA) and Accreditation International (Ai), and is recognized as a non-public school by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

AMERICAN SCHOOL REFUND POLICY

We believe you will be pleased with your American School studies; however, should you decide within the first 30 days after your enrollment is accepted that you wish to discontinue your studies, you must:

Notify American School in writing that you wish to cancel.
We will retain a $100.00 processing fee and refund all other monies paid.
For any paper-based course, all study materials must be returned in a new, unused condition before any refund is issued. No refund will be issued if any exams have been submitted for grading.
For any online course, no refund will be issued if any assignments have been submitted.

Enrollments may not be transferred from one student to another.

STUDENT’S RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Students must earn a minimum of five (5) units of credit with American School in order to obtain an American School diploma. The price of the program depends on the ability of American School to verify the number of credits you have claimed through transcripts from schools attended. The school agrees to make an allowance for previous high school credits except for physical education, driver’s education, religion, performing arts (chorus, band, drama, etc.) or ROTC. You will be given a $200.00 tuition reduction for each full unit of verified transfer credit.

American School agrees to allow you up to six years to complete the requirements of this program following the guidelines established on page two (2) of this contract. Students can have a maximum of six (6) one-year contracts.

Upon successful completion of all academic and financial requirements, a diploma from American School, a school which is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), the National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA) and Accreditation International (Ai), and is recognized as a non-public secondary school by the Illinois State Board of Education, will be awarded to you.