La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § I-1501

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section I-1501 - Honorary Diplomas

A. The board may award an honorary diploma to qualifying students who left high school before graduating to serve in the United States Armed Forces during World War II, the Korean Conflict, or the Vietnam War.

1. Veterans shall meet the following criteria to be eligible for an honorary diploma.

a. The veteran left a public school located in Louisiana in order to serve in the United States Armed Forces during World War II, the Korean Conflict, or the Vietnam War.

b. The veteran would have graduated from a public school in Louisiana in the years ranging from 1941 to 1950, 1950 to 1955, or 1964 to 1974.

c. The veteran received an honorable discharge from the United States Armed Forces or was released from active duty because of a service related disability.

d. The veteran has not previously been awarded a Louisiana standard high school diploma, but may have passed a high school equivalency examination.

2. An honorary diploma may be awarded posthumously to the family of a deceased veteran.

3. An honorary diploma awarded to an eligible veteran shall not be considered a standard Louisiana high school diploma for the purposes of satisfying postsecondary admissions requirements and/or determining eligibility for postsecondary financial aid, including, but not limited to, the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) scholarship.

4. The rights and privileges attached to a standard high school diploma, or its equivalent, are not applicable to any honorary diplomas conferred upon veterans meeting the requirements outlined above.

B. Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, all secondary public schools may posthumously issue honorary diplomas to deceased students who passed away while enrolled in a current high school cohort. On behalf of the student, the parent or legal guardian of the deceased student shall request the posthumous diploma from the Local Education Agency (LEA) during the school year in which the student cohort is scheduled to graduate.

1. For purposes of this Section, a cohort is defined as all students who entered ninth grade for the first time in the state of Louisiana in a given academic year.

2. The student must have been enrolled and in good standing with the school at the time of the student's death.

3. The deceased student must not have been convicted of a felony before the student's death.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § I-1501

Promulgated by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 411273 (7/1/2015), Amended LR 50681 (5/1/2024).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:6(A)(10).