For Army enlistment purposes, the following educational credentials are defined as Tier 1, equivalent to a high school diploma:
(1) A diploma issued to an individual who has attended and completed a 12-year or grade day program of classroom instruction. The diploma must be issued from the school where the individual completed the program requirements.
(2) A secondary school diploma awarded on the basis of attending and completing an adult education or external diploma program, regardless of whether the diploma was issued by a secondary or postsecondary educational institution. The diploma must have been issued as a result of attendance, not issued solely on the basis of a test. Accordingly, a GED certificate is not considered equivalent for Army enlistment purposes; it is considered Tier 2.
(3) Successful completion of at least 15 semester hours (or 22 quarter hours, or 675 clock hours) of college-level credit from an educational institution that maintains accreditation in the current Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary Education book. Credit that is earned through testing or for the pursuit of high school completion is considered Tier 2.
(4) Home School Diplomas are Tier 1, provided transcriptsaccompany them and they are certified by the State Education Department or the local school district.
(5) GED certificates earned through the National Guard Youth Challenge Program (NGYCP), or accredited state Job Corps Centers, are considered Tier 1 if accompanied by the NGYCP certificate or Job Corps Center completion certificate.
The Army’s recruiting and enlistment policies seek to provide the best quality Army, at the least possible cost, by enlisting those men and women who have the greatest aptitude for military service and the highest probability of successfully completing an enlistment. Soldiers who are not high school graduates (including those who possess GED certificates) fail to complete their initial term of enlistment at a rate nearly twice that of high school graduates. At the same time, the Armed Forces Qualification Test is the primary indicator of aptitude for military training, and applicants must score 50 or higher on this test.
