Missouri Graduation Codes G01 and G03: What IEP Families Need to Know

Missouri's Graduation Reporting System

Missouri uses MOSIS (Missouri Student Information System) codes to track how each student exits high school. For families of students with IEPs, two codes matter most: G01 and G03. Both result in a regular high school diploma — but they represent fundamentally different pathways to earning it, and understanding the distinction is critical for transition planning.

G01: Standard Credit-Based Graduation

G01 is the traditional graduation pathway. The student completes all state and local credit requirements — a minimum of 24 units of credit — through standard or modified courses and earns a regular high school diploma.

Students with IEPs can graduate under G01 in the same way as their non-disabled peers. If the student's IEP includes modified coursework taught by certified special education teachers, those courses can still earn regular credit. Missouri regulations allow districts to transcribe credit for students with disabilities who successfully complete course requirements and related IEP goals.

The FAPE consequence: Earning a regular diploma through G01 immediately terminates the student's entitlement to Free Appropriate Public Education. Once the diploma is awarded, the school district has no further obligation to provide special education services, transition services, or any IDEA protections.

G03: Graduation by Meeting IEP Goals

G03 is Missouri's alternative pathway for students with disabilities. Under G03, the IEP team may waive specific state graduation credit requirements. Instead of completing all 24 credit units, the student graduates based on demonstrating mastery of individualized IEP goals determined by the IEP team.

This pathway is designed for students whose disabilities make completing standard credit requirements impractical, even with modifications. The IEP team determines which graduation requirements to waive and what IEP goal mastery will substitute for those credits.

Here's what confuses families: Even though G03 is an alternate pathway with waived requirements, the student still receives a regular high school diploma — the same document as G01. And because it's a regular diploma, the FAPE consequence is identical: graduation under G03 terminates FAPE just as G01 does.

This is the single most important fact for families to understand about G03. The pathway is alternate; the diploma is not. Once awarded, special education services end.

The Diploma Deferral Strategy

Because both G01 and G03 result in FAPE termination, families whose students have significant unmet transition needs should consider deferring the diploma. Under Missouri's diploma deferral mechanism (sometimes associated with "Kaitlyn's Law"), a student can participate in the graduation ceremony with their peers but legally defer the actual diploma.

Since the diploma is not formally awarded, FAPE continues. The student remains enrolled and can access school-based transition programs — like the Vocational Skills Program (VSP) in St. Louis County — until they reach age 21.

Deferral is a strategic decision, not a default. It makes sense when:

• The student has unmet transition goals in employment, independent living, or community participation
• The student would benefit from continued access to Pre-ETS or school-based vocational training
• Adult services (VR, DD waivers) aren't yet in place and the student needs continued school support as a bridge

It doesn't make sense when the student has met their transition goals, has adult services arranged, and is ready to exit the school system.

Certificate of Attendance: A Different Category Entirely

Some students complete four years of high school without meeting either G01 credit requirements or G03 IEP goal criteria. These students may receive a certificate of attendance or completion — which is not a diploma and is coded differently in MOSIS.

The critical distinction: a certificate of attendance does not terminate FAPE. The student remains eligible for special education services until age 21. This makes the certificate pathway important for students with significant disabilities who need extended transition services but whose IEP team has not yet determined they're ready for goal-based graduation.

Questions to Ask at the IEP Meeting

Before your student's anticipated graduation year, ask the IEP team:

• Is the team proposing G01 or G03 for this student? What's the rationale?
• If G03, which specific graduation requirements are being waived, and what IEP goals substitute for them?
• Has the team considered deferral if the student has unmet transition goals?
• If the student graduates under either code, are adult services (VR, Division of DD, Medicaid) already in place to prevent a services gap?
• What are the long-term implications of waived requirements on the student's eligibility for federal financial aid or postsecondary admission?

The Missouri IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide includes a Diploma Pathway Comparison worksheet that lays out each graduation option with its FAPE implications, helping you make this decision with the full picture.

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