American High School Diploma and Footprints

University Exemption for Admission to Degree Courses with AHSD

To be eligible to apply for conditional exemption from the SA Matriculation Board, run by USAf, so that they may apply for admission to Degree courses at SA universities, AHSD candidates must meet specified criteria and their applications are likely to undergo intense scrutiny by USAf to ensure there is sufficient proof of academic achievement.

1. The AHSD must be issued by a registered school in the USA

2. The student must achieve a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.5 (out of 4) i.e. scores of 87% or higher

3. The student must pass the SAT test with a minimum score of 1130 (out of 1600) OR a student may take two Advanced Placement (AP) tests.

AP Tests are tests in specific subjects, e.g. Chemistry, Physics or History etc. and achieve a grade 3-5 pass. (The AP tests are scored out of 5.)

AP Tests can only be written in Cape Town in South Africa, whereas the SAT is offered in multiple cities around the country. Families must research the admission policies of the university of choice plus the faculty-specific minimum requirements for admission to the degree of choice. Required minimum SAT scores differ for various degree programs, like engineering, medicine, and veterinary science. These degree programs require a higher SAT score than others.

Previous American high school graduates in South Africa have been accepted locally at the University of Pretoria, University of Stellenbosch, University of North-West, VEGA, Eduvos, STADIO, Red & Yellow, Da Vinci Business School, Open Window, IMM Graduate School of Marketing, Akademia, and Sol-Tech, to name a few. Various universities and colleges in the USA, Thailand, and Spain have accepted students internationally.

Footprints/Voetspore plus Maths is the hassle-free way to achieve the AHSD!*

*Just add one high school science credit, such as one of the Apologia Science courses or any other, to meet the AHSD requirements.
*Afrikaans students must complete an English second language course each year to earn the compulsory English credits, if they use the Afrikaans Voetspore and Natuurskattejag programmes, but they could earn 4 elective credits for Afrikaans too.

Costs 

Enrollment with Highlands Preparatory Academy is $150 per year per family (June 2026). A discount is provided when signing up through Diversio Learning.

For grade 12 students, senior fees (covering transcripts, the diploma, reviews, and counseling during the senior year) are included in either a once-off or 6-monthly Diversio Learning academic fee.

Please note: US family enrollment fees are exchange-rate linked and can be adjusted at any time.

Diversio Learning offers a range of services, including the creation of a 4-year high school Educational Development Plan (EDP) to map out credits. They also provide private consultations and tailored support for tutor centers and co-ops.

For more information about the American High School Diploma, please contact Diversio Learning. Email info@diversiolearning.co.za

Enrolment Requirements

To enroll with Highlands Preparatory Academy, a parent must complete the following via the Diversio Learning online portal:

1. US Household Enrollment: A prescribed enrollment process for each family, featuring streamlined online payment through a secure portal.
   
   
2. Administrative Registration: Per student at grade level. All services that used to be optional are now included to verify parent records. This includes a 60-minute planning consultation & curriculum counselor access, 2x annual grade tracking, 2x annual proof-of-learning portfolio uploads and administrative US school enrollment & reporting for all K-12 learners.
   
   – Grades 9-11 include all of the above, plus specialized credit mapping, advanced advisor sign-offs on documentation, and a customized Transfer of Credit Plan for late-joining incoming students.
   – Grade 12 fees bundle all graduation requirements: the senior fee, international apostille handling, final diploma issuance, and protective documentation covers (excluding dynamic physical shipping costs, which are billed separately at delivery).
   
   
3. Curriculum Selection and Educational Development Planning (EDP): Parents submit previous school or homeschool records for all high school years already completed, showing grades achieved. (Additionally, Diversio Learning are now providers of Cognia-accredited and NCAA-eligible online curriculum and teaching services, with drastically reduced pricing due to their micro-school status in the USA).
   
   
4. Course Approval/Subject Verification Form: Required for each student. (Note: This must be submitted annually at registration for all students in grades K/R–12).

Important Dates: To maintain flexibility while ensuring compliance, there are no hard deadlines. However, the recurring annual registration and re-enrollment dates are 1 December (for students on the South African academic calendar) and 1 July (for students on the US academic calendar). Dviersio Learning strongly recommends that families with students in grades 9-11 adhere to the dates provided in their individual Educational Development Plan, especially if the student’s outcome leads to tertiary study. In addition, Elevation Athletics students applying for NCAA sponsorship at a US university have certain strict rules to adhere to.