Continuing your education or getting your foreign qualifications recognized in the United States opens doors to higher-paying careers and professional licensure. This guide covers evaluating foreign degrees, choosing higher education pathways, adult high school equivalency, and applying for financial aid.
What you'll learn in this article
- How to evaluate foreign high school diplomas and university degrees for U.S. use
- Understanding community college, vocational, and university pathways
- Earning a High School Equivalency diploma (GED or HiSET) as an adult
- Navigating college financial aid (FAFSA), grants, and scholarships
- Meeting English proficiency requirements (TOEFL/IELTS) for higher education
Foreign credential evaluation & degree recognition
Translating and evaluating your international educational credentials helps U.S. employers, universities, and licensing boards understand your qualifications.
📜 Credential evaluation services
- Choosing an Evaluator: Use evaluation agencies accredited by NACES (such as WES or ECE) or AICE to ensure your evaluation report is accepted by colleges and employers.
- Document-by-Document vs. Course-by-Course: Request a Document-by-Document report for general employment or high school equivalency, or a detailed Course-by-Course report for university transfer credits and professional licensing.
- Certified Translations: Official transcripts and diplomas not issued in English must be accompanied by certified, literal English translations prior to evaluation.
Higher education pathways & adult equivalency
Multiple flexible educational routes allow adult learners to gain workforce skills or earn academic degrees.
🎓 Adult high school, community colleges & universities
- High School Equivalency (GED / HiSET): Adults without a high school diploma can take standardized state exams (such as the GED) to earn a state-issued high school equivalency credential recognized nationwide.
- Community Colleges: Local 2-year public colleges offer affordable associate degrees, career technical education (CTE) certificates, and seamless transfer pathways to 4-year public universities.
- English Proficiency Exams: Colleges typically require non-native English speakers to demonstrate academic language readiness through standardized tests (such as TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test) or by completing college ESL sequences.
Financial aid, grants & scholarships
Funding options exist to make post-secondary education and career training manageable and affordable.
💵 Paying for college & career training
- Federal Financial Aid (Free Application for Federal Student Aid - FAFSA): U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens (such as green card holders) can submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to access federal grants (Pell Grants), work-study programs, and low-interest student loans.
- State & Institutional Aid: Many states and individual colleges offer state-based aid programs or tuition waivers that do not require federal aid eligibility.
- Workforce Development Grants: Local Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) centers offer federal grants that cover 100% of tuition for eligible job-training and vocational certificate programs.
✔ Summary Checklist
- Order official certified translations of your foreign transcripts and diplomas.
- Select a NACES-approved agency (such as WES) for foreign credential evaluation.
- Contact a local community college to explore certificate and associate degree options.
- Complete the FAFSA early to apply for federal grants, work-study, and financial aid.
- Inquire at your local American Job Center/WIOA office about free vocational training grants.