FAQ

What does it cost?

Currently, due to the pandemic, we are offering this service COMPLETELY FREE!

The short answer otherwise would be: not much.  Currently the average annual tuition for an American private high school is a bit more than $16,000.  In Massachusetts it’s more than $32,000!  

But at M.I.A. you can earn your diploma for less than $1,000 – in fact, probably a lot less.  We are very generous with scholarships and financial aid.  You would send us a message describing your financial situation and we’d find a way to make it work.

Why are you doing this?

Despite the empty promises of No Child Left Behind, there are more than two million Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 that are considered to be “dropouts.”  We consider them to be “Casualties” of a failed policy.  

Schools with students who score high on standardized tests are still given awards and publicity, and those without are still ridiculed, blamed, and shut down.  Although this may have seemed like a clever strategy twenty years ago, it came at the expense of many young children who were turned away from an education, either through coercion or by expulsion, so their scores would not be included in official statistics.  There were not enough incentives for school districts to re-engage those who went missing, and the result was over two million victims.

If you’ve been left behind we want to hear about it.  You deserve better and we’re coming back for you!

How does it work?

The “Carnegie Unit” (~120 hours) is the traditional way a high school education is measured, followed by “Evidence of Engagement,” and “Demonstration of Competence.” In other words, schools generally give you credit for spending time with an instructor, practicing a skill, and then showing your abilities.  M.I.A. recognizes that many non-graduates of high school have, in fact, already followed these guidelines, but in non-academic settings.  Our mission is to formalize your education and award you the appropriate credits to allow you to move forward in life.

Is M.I.A. an accredited high school?

Currently Massachusetts Independent Academy is not accredited by NEASC, and it may not pursue accreditation at all.  It is, of course, an Independent Academy.

However, M.I.A. is adamantly not allowing you to buy a document that you do not deserve.  Instead, a panel of our educators will review your transcripts, take your relevant GRADUATE life experiences and trainings into account, and consider your holistic situation before formalizing your education.  If you are still unsure, we promise to honor a 100% satisfaction guarantee for your tuition for one full year after the official date that your diploma is issued.

Are you lowering the standards by requiring fewer graduate credits for a diploma?

Absolutely not. As you can see in the slides below, a higher requirement of credits is, in fact, associated with lower College Readiness, Graduation Rates, NAEP Reading Scores, and NAEP Mathematics Scores.