FAQ
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General Inquiry Questions

Griggs provides a full curriculum for Kindergarten through Grade 12.

Yes, courses are available at any time of year!

Yes. We have students who take a single course or up to a full course load.

Yes. We are proud of our international status and welcome online students from around the globe

Griggs International Academy is accredited and approved by:

  • Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools, Colleges, and Universities.
  • Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventists for Schools, Colleges and Universities.
  • Approved as a non-public school by the Maryland State Board of Education for Kindergarten, Elementary, and High School.

 

Enrollment Questions

Griggs offers open enrollment meaning students can begin their courses at any point throughout the year. If the students meets the age requirement (Grades K-1), or has successfully completed the previous grade level (Grades 2-11), they may enroll at any time. Your start date is the day your enrollment is finalized.

Griggs is happy to work with students by administering a placement exam (fees may apply) or a portfolio review (K-3). Depending on the results of that test, an education plan can be implemented. No matter what placement is recommended, there are minimum requirements for diploma-seeking students. Please contact our K-8 Director for more information: griggsk-8@andrews.edu.

Some courses include all the textbook materials within the lessons, others require eBooks, and some require physical textbooks. View a complete list of required textbooks and materials here.

Tuition may be paid on a monthly payment plan. Automatic debit is not available. Fees cannot be included in the monthly payment plan, and are nonrefundable. The monthly payment plan is also not available to sponsoring organizations.

The monthly payment plan is subject to prior credit approval, which may be based on information obtained from a credit reporting agency. Andrews University reserves the right to deny credit on the basis of one’s credit history.

The person responsible for the student’s finances must be 18 years of age or older. By completing and signing the Financial Agreement in the Enrollment Packet, the financier and the student (if older than 18) agree to abide by the stated terms. The amount financed cannot exceed the amount due for tuition. In case of an error or miscalculation, GIA reserves the right to adjust without notice the amount financed, provided the amount in question does not exceed $100.

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Course Questions

Grades K - 5 courses are all hybrid.
Grades 6 - 8 are online 
Grades 9-12 are online

Learn more about each grade level's page below and by viewing the enrollment packet:

Elementary &  Junior HigH  High School

Q: What are the technical requirements for online courses? 

Student (grades 6-12) needs access to a computer with:

  • High-speed uninterrupted internet access
  • Software: Adobe Acrobat Reader, word processor (e.g. MS Word), current browser version with JavaScript and Cookies enabled, Adobe Flash Player 10.1 or greater
  • Hardware: 2GB+ RAM, 1.6Ghz+ processor,10GB hard drive space, 1024 × 768 or higher screen resolution, audio speakers, webcam and microphone (headset highly recommended), access to a scanner is strongly suggested
  • Operating system: PC Windows 8 or newer; MAC OSX or newer
  • Supported browsers are the latest or most recent browser versions: Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Apple Safari
  • Tablet and mobile support most recent versions of: Android, Apple or Microsoft Surface
  • Use of Chromebooks is not endorsed due to low performance capacity. Most are not able to support Griggs Online.

Credit recovery courses are for students who have failed a course and need to get back on their educational track. Credit recovery allows students to keep their class schedule, and saves time because they don't have to wait till the next school year to retake a course. View a complete list of credit recovery courses here.

There are over 20 certified teachers who grade and evaluate student assignments and exams for Griggs. Are you curious about what sorts of assignments and projects are a part of our curriculum? Check out our Student Highlights!

Q: How much time do I have to finish a course? 

Students have a 12 months from date of enrollment to complete their coursework. International students could have up to18 months to allow for delays in textbook shipments and other unforeseen circumstances. Though students are given this time allotment, our program is designed to be completed in 9 months, and students are encouraged to finish as close to that timeline as possible. 

Students who require extra time for their coursework are granted an automatic free 6-week extension. At the time of a course deadline, an email will be sent notifying students of this extension. After the 6-week grace period, the student will lose access to the course, and will need to contact Griggs for an extension (K-8: griggsk8@andrews.edu or High School: griggsadvisor@andrews.edu). See Catalog/Handbook for fees. 

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High School Specific Questions

To be eligible for a high school diploma through Griggs International Academy, a student must have successfully completed a minimum of 6.0 units for the College Preparatory (College Prep) diploma and 5.0 units for the Standard diploma in alignment with Middle States Accreditation standards through Griggs. The last three units must be completed with Griggs during the student's senior year.

College Preparatory Diploma

  • Requirements: 25 units
  • 4 units of English (must include one unit of American Literature)
  • 4 units of math (must include Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 or higher level math course). GIA requires 4 units of math for College Preparatory Diploma 
  • 4 units of science (must include one life science and one higher level science)
  • ½ unit of Health
  • 1 unit of Physical Education
  • 3 units of social studies (must include U.S. History and American Government)
  • 1 unit of Computer Literacy
  • 1 unit of fine arts
  • 2 units of modern languages (must be same language)
  • 4 units of religion (1 unit of religion required for each 5 units taken with GIA or may be petitioned)
  • ½ unit of electives
  • Minimum 20 hours per year of community service
  • ACT/SAT test scores (required)

Standard High School Diploma

  • Requirements: 21 units
  • 4 units of English (must include one unit of American Literature)
  • 3 units of math (must include Algebra 1; if Pre-Algebra is completed an additional math credit is required)
  • 3 units of science (must include one life science)
  • ½ unit of Health
  • 1 unit of Physical Education
  • 3 units of social studies (must include U.S. History and American Government)
  • 1 unit of Computer Literacy
  • 1 unit of fine arts
  • 4 units of religion (1 unit of religion required for each 5 units taken with GIA, may be petitioned)
  • ½ unit of electives
  • Minimum 20 hours per year of community service
  • ACT/SAT test scores (recommended)

The standard diploma is a comprehensive curricular foundation for students seeking to prepare for higher education and achieve career goals. The college prep diploma increases academic rigor in math and science courses in preparation for college-level study (along with including the study of a Modern Language.)

Speak with our academic advisor if you have questions about which diploma your student should pursue. 

Yes. Griggs is an accredited program and most Universities will accept our diplomas. 

Yes. Qualifying sophomores, juniors and seniors have the opportunity to earn university credit through Andrews University. More information is available here.

 

Grades & Report Card Questions

Q: How do I get a report card or transcript?

Students in grades K-8 may request a report card by emailing the K-8 Director at griggsk-8@andrews.edu.

High school transcripts may be requested here by creating a New Learner account with Parchment. 

A = 93-100
A- = 90-92
B+ = 88-89
B = 83-87
B- = 80-82
C+ = 78-79

C = 73-77
C- = 70-72
D+ = 68-69
D = 63-67
D- = 60-62
F = 59 and below

Q: Can I see my grades at any time?

Grades for individual assignments are always available on Griggs Online. If you are wanting to know your cumulative grade on a specific class in any given moment, please email the course teacher from the Classlist.

Exam Questions

Challenge exams are granted on an individual basis for Algebra I, and a wide range of modern languages. Fees do apply.

Grades K–8
Tests may come at the end of chapters, units or a specified number of assignments. A parent or responsible adult should proctor the tests. Teachers will grade tests and return them with comments for encouragement or improvement.

High School
Academic integrity and standards are an important part of education, so we strictly enforce the policies for taking an exam. In order to maintain the integrity of the examination process and adhere to accreditation standards, an exam supervisor must be selected to proctor exams at the time of enrollment. Failure to follow proctor selection guidelines may result in failure of exam or course. A proctor must be:

  1. A teacher or school administrator, testing center staff, guidance counselor, librarian or pastor not related to, or in residence with, the student.

  2. Verifiable and approved by Griggs Testing department.

If the approved proctor is not available, students can use the Griggs online test proctoring service. Local Berrien Springs area students are encouraged to use this service.

High School testing policies:

  • Students attending a school must use a school administrator.
  • A completed Proctor Information Form must be submitted at the time of enrollment.
  • Proctor must be verified and approved by Griggs Testing department.
  • Examination date, time and place arrangements are made between student and proctor.
  • Griggs sends password information to proctor. The proctor should NEVER give the exam password to the student.
  • Proctor completes the Proctor Procedures and Exam Instructions.
  • Proctor directly supervises throughout the entire examination with student's computer screen in sight.
  • After taking the exam, students will have access to the exam grade and teacher feedback only

Exam times vary by course. Testing time ranges from 90 minutes to 3 hours

Yes. Griggs offers alternate testing for failed exams. Fees apply. See Catalog/Handbook for details. 

Alternate Exam Form

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