Tennessee State Board of Education rules require a student to be 18 years old before being
eligible to attain an HSE diploma. However, a 17-year-old may be eligible to attain an HSE
diploma if they receive a signed recommendation form from an authorized official (see chart below).
| Student’s Current School | Authorized Official |
| Adult Education program | School district Superintendent or designee |
| Public school, or not enrolled in school | School district Superintendent or designee |
| Private school or church-related school | Leader of the school |
| Home school | Parent or guardian |
The signed recommendation must be submitted to the Tennessee Administrator of Testing for override approval using this form. Recommendation for 17-Year-Old-Student
A 17-year-old will be prohibited from signing up to take the HiSET or GED until they submit
an age waiver request with a completed recommendation form.
For more information, please contact the state office using the following link.
Contact Us
Tennessee Department of Labor/Jobs and Education/Adult Education-Customer Support Team