COHS is a free online high school diploma and career certificate program for adults, available through LA County Library.

Complete an Are You Ready Survey. You will be invited to take the 2-week prerequisite course. Upon successful completion of the course, you will be contacted by the Library within 5 business days to schedule an interview and discuss your admission into the program.

Adult residents 19 or older living within the LA County Library service area. Minors should pursue their high school education through existing high school programs. Program applicants must have an LA County Library card or be willing to apply for one.

No, this is not a GED program. Successful graduates will earn an accredited high school diploma and a career certificate. While both the GED and high school diploma are important, some colleges, institutions, and organizations require a high school diploma and may not accept the GED. Additionally, COHS gives students the benefit of earning a career certificate and completing additional job preparation documents and training, which GED programs typically do not provide. However, if you have already earned GED course credits, you may be able to transfer them for COHS credits.

Students will be given up to 18 months to complete the program, which will consist of 18 credits, each designed to be completed over the course of a month. Students accepted into the program may transfer up to 14 credits from their former high school or from GED courses successfully passed at Performance Level 2 or higher (145+). Depending on how many credits the student is able to transfer, the program can be completed in as few as 5 months. The program is self-paced, but plan to devote at least 8 – 10 hours each week to coursework.

Yes. You can access it online, 24/7.

Yes, all COHS instructors are state certified. Most of the academic coaches and academic instructors are located in Florida, so office hours are 6 am – 3 pm PST; however, coaches also have evening hours twice a week. Your COHS academic coach will welcome you initially, and then reach out at least once every 2 weeks, or more often for students needing additional assistance.

Learners can complete coursework using a desktop computer, laptop, tablets, Xbox, and mobile devices. Visit the Technology Requirements page for more details. If you have any concerns about your technology not meeting these requirements, please contact your local library, who may be able to provide options, including using in-library computers, or checking out a Chromebook and WiFi hotspot to complete the program.

LA County Library provides resources to help you complete the program. Customers can borrow a Chromebook and WiFi hotspot to access the internet based on equipment availability during enrollment. Please contact your local library or email diploma@library.lacounty.gov for more information.

Yes. At this time, all coursework is available in English only.

No, you will not; however, the Language Arts classes may require novels, which you can check out from the Library.

The prevalence of online diploma mills and counterfeit degrees has unfortunately created some skepticism around the legitimacy of diplomas from online institutions. COHS is accredited by the COGNIA. While COHS is a new institution and may not immediately be familiar by name, it is easy to demonstrate that the school is recognized across the nation as a quality school system, delivering a COGNIA accredited online high school diploma. It is important to understand that a high school diploma alone (from any type of accredited high school) is not enough to guarantee a student admission into a college or university, as each postsecondary institution has its own minimum standards including admissions exams, standardized test scores, and other criteria.

LA County Library is committed to helping people meet their education and job preparation needs. We encourage you to visit our job search page or your local library, where staff may be able to help you find a local agency or resource that will best fit your needs.