As higher degrees become devalued in the job market, the high school diploma becomes practically useless as a credential. Twenty years ago, graduation from high school qualified you for a job in any non-technical industry. In fact, it was the credential you needed to begin applying for work in the real world; without it, you couldn't even apply for college.  Recently, however, education and industry have begun changing their views on the high school diploma. Early "graduations" provide students the opportunity to move into colleges and begin their breadth requirements as early as their junior year.

This can be of tremendous benefit to students who possess the maturity and focus to devote themselves to higher subject matter, whether or not they have positively chosen a professional field of study. Unfortunately, it is the rare 17 year old student who is prepared for the distractions and responsibilities of college life.  In many cases, the pressures of independent study and habitation are too heavy for teens, resulting in wasted money, regret, possibly emotional distress.

In general, I favor keeping teens and young twenties at home where the comfort of parents, old friends, familiar surroundings and structured learning becomes a safety zone while hormones settle and brains continue their physiological development. Of course, not all environments, whether home or school are safe and conducive to learning. That's the larger issue that we, as humans concerned with both the education and the emotional well being of our children, need to consider and solve.