1. (a) The Commissioner of Education shall, in accordance with this section, issue a state high school diploma to any person (1) who successfully completes an examination approved by the commissioner, or (2) who (A) is eighteen years of age or older and has been officially withdrawn from school in accordance with the provisions of section 10-184, and (B) presents to the commissioner evidence demonstrating educational qualifications which the commissioner deems equivalent to those required for graduation from a public high school. Application for such a diploma shall be made in the manner and form prescribed by the commissioner provided, at the time of application to take the examination described in subdivision (1) of this subsection, the applicant has been officially withdrawn from school, in accordance with section 10-184, for at least six months and has been advised, in such manner as may be prescribed by the commissioner, of the other options for high school completion and other available educational programs. For good cause shown, the commissioner may allow a person who is seventeen years of age to apply to take the examination.
2. (b) Application to take or retake the examination described in subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section shall be accompanied by a money order or certified check in the nonrefundable amount of thirteen dollars. This amount shall include the fee for the state high school diploma.
3. (c) No (1) veteran, as defined in section 27-103, (2) member of the armed forces, as defined in section 27-103, or (3) person under twenty-one years of age shall be required to pay the fees described in subsection (b) of this section. The commissioner may waive any fee described in subsection (b) of this section upon the submission of evidence indicating an inability to pay.
4. (d) The Commissioner of Education shall keep a correct account of all money received under the provisions of this section and shall deposit with the State Treasurer all such money received by said commissioner. Funds paid to a local or regional board of education under this section shall be deposited in the school activity fund established under section 10-237 and expended to defray the costs of such testing and related administration and information.
5. (e) The commissioner shall establish criteria by which an “honors diploma” may be issued for exemplary performance on the examination.
6. (f) The Department of Education shall establish criteria by which a local or regional board of education, or the governing board of any other school that awards diplomas, may affix the Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy on a diploma awarded to a student who has achieved a high level of proficiency in English and one or more foreign languages. For purposes of this subsection, “foreign language” means a world language other than English and includes American Sign Language and any other language spoken by a Native American tribe.

(1949 Rev., S. 1336; 1951, S. 880d; 1957, P.A. 163, S. 17; February, 1965, P.A. 330, S. 11; P.A. 73-79; P.A. 77-614, S. 302, 587, 610; P.A. 78-218, S. 7; 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 83-146, S. 1, 2; P.A. 84-325, S. 6; P.A. 86-333, S. 1, 32; P.A. 89-251, S. 65, 203; P.A. 91-295, S. 1, 7; P.A. 95-259, S. 2, 32; P.A. 00-157, S. 2, 8; P.A. 12-120, S. 7; P.A. 13-31, S. 4; P.A. 17-29, S. 1; P.A. 18-47, S. 6; P.A. 21-79, S. 7; 21-199, S. 11; P.A. 24-78, S. 5.)

History: 1965 act substituted “state high school diploma” for “qualifying academic certificate” and deleted definition of certificate; P.A. 73-79 allowed payment of testing fee to local boards of education providing testing services as well as to state board and required that fees paid to local boards be deposited in school activity fund to cover testing costs; P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 substituted commissioner of education for secretary of state board of education, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-218 allowed payment of testing fees to regional boards of education; P.A. 83-146 increased fee for examination from $3 to $10, required payment of all fees to be by money order or certified check unless made in person for subsequent examinations, and exempted persons under age 21 from paying fees required under the section; P.A. 84-325 stipulated that any sums paid under the provisions of the section were nonrefundable, added provision permitting commissioner to waive payment of any fee and established criteria for the earning of an “honors diploma”; P.A. 86-333 deleted the provision that the examination be in one or more subjects; P.A. 89-251 increased fee for a state high school diploma from $2 to $3, increased fee for a first examination from $10 to $13 and increased fee for subsequent examinations from $2 to $3; P.A. 91-295 added provision requiring that person be at least 17 years of age and withdrawn from school for at least six months, and that applicant be advised of options and available programs and provision re use of funds to defray the costs of related administration and information; P.A. 95-259 rewrote the section, added the provision for 16-year-olds to apply to take the examination and changed the provision concerning an honors diploma, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 00-157 amended Subsec. (a) to only allow 16 or 17-year-olds to receive the diploma if they have officially withdrawn from school, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 12-120 amended Subsec. (a)(2)(A) by deleting “sixteen or”, effective June 15, 2012; P.A. 13-31 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective May 28, 2013; P.A. 17-29 added new Subsec. (f) re Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy, effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 18-47 amended Subsec. (c) to add Subdivs. (1) to (4) designators, add provision re person with qualifying condition and discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable in Subdiv. (3), and make a technical change; P.A. 21-79 amended Subsec. (c) to add reference to Sec. 27-103 in Subdiv. (1), delete former Subdiv. (3) re person with qualifying condition, redesignate existing Subdiv. (4) as Subdiv. (3), and make a technical change; P.A. 21-199 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “seventeen years of age” with “eighteen years of age or older”, deleting “or is eighteen years of age or older,” in Subdiv. (2)(A), deleting “is seventeen years of age or older,”, replacing “sixteen” with “seventeen”, and deleting provision re commissioner not to issue state high school diploma to person until such person has attained seventeen years of age, effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 24-78 amended Subsec. (f) by replacing “State Board of Education” with “Department of Education”, adding “, or the governing board of any other school that awards diplomas,”, deleting “federally recognized” re Native American tribes and making a technical change, effective July 1, 2024.