noncitizen  national  of  the  United  States,  or  an immigrant alien to the United States. An exception of this policy is the enlistment in the U.S. Navy from the Republic  of  the  Marshall  Islands  and  the  Federated States of Micronesia. All other nonimmigrant aliens are ineligible  for  enlistment. Education There are three main education classifications – high school  diploma  graduate  (HSDG),  high  school  graduate (HSG),   and   nonhigh   school   graduate   (NHSG). Traditional  education  is  simple  to  classify,  but  the myriad of alternative education programs may prove more difficult. Consult your NRD education specialist (ED SPEC) for a classification on any education that does  not  fall  neatly  within  the  requirements  listed  in  the Navy  Recruiting  Manual  -  Enlisted,  COMNAVCRUIT- COMINST 1133.8. HIGH   SCHOOL   DIPLOMA   GRADUATE.– Included in this classification are applicants who fall into one or more of the following categories: l They attended and completed a 12-year/grade day program of classroom instruction and have a locally issued  diploma. l  They  did  not  graduate  high  school  but  have attended  a  college  or  university  and  completed  15 semester  or  22  quarter  hours  of  college-level  credit. l They have a secondary school diploma awarded for  attending  and  completing  an  adult  education  or continuation high school program. The key element is that the program must be attendance-based rather than competency-based. l They have an associate of arts or higher degree from  an  accredited  junior  college,  college,  or  university, whether or not the holder has achieved any type of high school  diploma.  All  applicants  with  4-year  college degrees  should  be  referred  to  officer  programs.  Be careful to preserve the applicants for enlisted programs if  they  do  not  meet  criteria  for  officer  selection.  Officer program  qualifications  change  often  as  do  enlisted. l They have completed their junior year in high school  and  are  expected  to  graduate  and  receive  a diploma   within   365   days.   These   applicants   are considered  will-grads  (11S)  and  are  classified  the  same as  HSDGs. HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE.– This  classification includes applicants who possess one of the following certificates  or  diplomas: l  A  general  education  development  (GED)  or other test-based high school equivalency certificate or diploma. l  An  attendance-based  certificate  or  diploma, sometimes   called   certificates   of   completion   or attendance.  A  person  who  later  gets  a  local-  or state-issued  diploma  on  the  basis  of  an  attendance credential is not to be considered an HSDG. l  A  high  school  diploma  or  certificate  from  a correspondence  or  home  study  school  that  is  accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the National Home Study  Council. l  Completed  at  least  11  years  of  regular  day school  and  has  attended  a  vocational,  technical,  or proprietary  school  for  at  least  6  months  and  has  a certificate  of  attendance  or  completion  showing  such. NONHIGH   SCHOOL   GRADUATES.–   This classification is used for applicants who do not have any  of  the  previously  discussed  credentials.  NSDGs must score 31 or above on the ASVAB to meet basic enlistment  eligibility.  The  Commander,  Navy  Recruiting Command (COMNAVCRUITCOM) periodically takes management  action  that  exceeds  minimum  standards. Consult  the  current  fiscal  year  gosling  letter  to determine  enlistment  eligibility. Dependency Married applicants for enlistment in paygrades E-1 through  E-3,  except  for  married  applicants  reenlisting under continuous service conditions, must have no more than  one  dependent.  Married  nonprior  service  applicants should  not  be  encouraged  to  enlist  due  to  the  potential hardship situation at the onset of their enlistment. There are  no  dependency  restrictions  on  married  applicants  for enlistment or reenlistment in paygrades E-4 and above. All  prospective  enlistees,  however,  should  be  carefully screened  for  financial  responsibility. Nonmarried applicants who have dependents, but who  do  not  have  custody  of  the  dependents,  are considered  eligible  for  enlistment  or  reenlistment  with regard to dependency provided (1) they do not have more than one dependent and are not contributing to the financial  support  of  more  than  one  individual/dependent 6-15