259AHIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY DIPLOMAS259A.1Assessment of competency.The department of education shall cause to be made available for qualified individuals a high school equivalency diploma. The diploma shall be issued to qualified individuals who successfully pass the civics test as set forth in section 280.9A, and demonstrate competence in all of the following core areas: reading, language arts, literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies.[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §259A.1]2006 Acts, ch 1152, §29; 2013 Acts, ch 88, §9; 2017 Acts, ch 85, §1, 5; 2025 Acts, ch 103, §4Section amended259A.2Application requirements.1Every applicant shall have attained the age of eighteen years, have not graduated from high school, and not be currently enrolled in a secondary school. 2An applicant is not eligible for a high school equivalency diploma until after the class in which the applicant was enrolled has graduated from high school.3Application shall be made to a high school equivalency program or testing center approved by the department of education, accompanied by an application fee in an amount prescribed by the department.4Test scores shall be forwarded by the scorer of the test to the department of education.5Evidence that an applicant demonstrates competence as required under section 259A.1 shall be made available to the department of education by the high school equivalency program for verification purposes.[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §259A.2]2013 Acts, ch 88, §10; 2017 Acts, ch 85, §2, 5259A.3Notice and fee.Any applicant who has demonstrated competence in the core areas under standards adopted by the state board of education pursuant to section 259A.5 shall be issued a high school equivalency diploma by the department of education upon payment of an additional amount determined in rules adopted by the state board of education to cover the actual costs of the production and distribution of the diploma. The state board of education may also by rule establish a fee for the issuance or verification of a transcript which shall be based on the actual costs of the production or verification of a transcript.[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §259A.3]2011 Acts, ch 20, §7; 2017 Acts, ch 85, §3, 5259A.4Use of fees.The fees collected under the provisions of this chapter shall be used for the expenses incurred in administering, providing test materials, scoring of examinations, and issuance of high school equivalency diplomas, and shall be disbursed on the authorization of the director of the department of education. The treasurer of state shall be custodian of the funds paid to the department and shall disburse the same on vouchers audited as provided by law. The unobligated balance in such funds at the close of each biennium shall be placed in the general fund of the state.[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §259A.4]85 Acts, ch 212, §21Section not amended; editorial change applied259A.5Rules duties.1The director of the department of education shall prescribe assessments, definitions of terms, and forms and resources as necessary for the administration of this chapter.2The state board of education shall adopt rules under chapter 17A to carry out this chapter. Any rules adopted relating to demonstrations of competence for purposes of this chapter shall require such demonstrations to be equivalent to or of greater rigor than those required for high school graduation, and such demonstrations shall include but are not limited to a test battery, credit-based measures, and attainment of other academic credentials.[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §259A.5]85 Acts, ch 212, §21; 86 Acts, ch 1245, §1441; 2017 Acts, ch 85, §4, 5259A.6Residents of juvenile institutions and juvenile probationers.Notwithstanding the provisions of section 259A.2 a minor who is a resident of a state training school or a minor who is placed under the supervision of a juvenile probation office may make application for a high school equivalency diploma and upon successful completion of the program receive a high school equivalency diploma.[C77, 79, 81, §259A.6]2019 Acts, ch 100, §8