ALBIA — There are 81 names on the list of Albia High School graduates this year, but Britt deVisser is not one of them.

The 18-year-old foreign exchange student from Wassenaar, Holland is in the United States with the Associated Study Programs for Educational and Cultural Training (ASPECT) program.

But just four days before the graduation ceremonies commence Saturday night, deVisser was told she would not be able to be a part of the ceremony and would not be receiving a diploma.

“I didn’t know what to think. It was four days before graduation and they were telling me I was not going to be able to graduate,” deVisser said.

Her host mother, Shayla Brittain, said when deVisser came home from school on Tuesday, she had tears in her eyes.

The student was first placed at Ottumwa High School with a temporary host family, but a week later was transferred to the Brittain family where she then started attending classes at AHS.

“[OHS] told me I would be able to graduate and showed me the diploma that I would be getting,” deVisser said. “And when I transferred to Albia [High School], they didn’t tell me any differently.”

School officials insist they are not at fault either and that they have guidelines they must abide by.

“We have to go with what our requirements and policies are. We have to be consistent. This is a major situation when you are giving out diplomas,” said Superintendent Kevin Crall.

“We’ve had numerous years of foreign exchange students that have had great experiences at Albia High School and they have not received diplomas.”

“We have worked with two different agencies [over the years] that don’t recommend giving diplomas. They recommend giving a certificate of attendance if the exchange student is going to be part of the ceremony,” said Albia High School Principal Linda Hoskins.

ASPECT officials agreed with school officials.

“We do not guarantee a graduation. The only thing we guarantee them is a high school year experience,” said ASPECT Midwest Regional Director Linda Mayhugh.

She said it is part of the U.S. State Department’s guidelines that they do not guarantee certain privileges like graduation, driver’s education or a diploma.

“It is up to the individual schools if they give a diploma. If they have a policy, they have to abide by that. The schools can dictate what grade they’re in, whether they can take driver’s education, whether they can go to a graduation ceremony,” Mayhugh said.