<p>That last bit in the piece copied from the Reed website is not correct. It is something that has been repeated, incorrectly, by colleges for years now. The Dept. of Education has issued a memo clarifying the issue, but some colleges haven’t yet caught on. They usually respond well when you just send them the link to the DOE memo.</p>
<p>My son’s college used to have that on their website last year, but I notice it has been removed now.</p>
<p>You do not need a high school diploma or a GED to receive federal financial aid. Neither of my children have a high school diploma and neither took the GED, but both are receiving federal financial aid. One at a top private LAC, one at a large public U. (The latter homeschooled for two years of “high school” and went to college at 16. It’s been a great choice for her.)</p>