Hi I recently got hired through a collections company who handles default student loans.I passed my background check through the company and was hired but now they need me to obtain a security clearance since they have a contract with the Dept of Education.My question, is can I receive a public trust security clearance even though I have not graduated or gotten my GED.I don’t have a criminal record and my credit is not that bad.I am just worried when I do my EQIP the government will be able to see that and I will be declined the public trust security clearance.Does anyone have answers for this.
If your position requires access to classified materials, it requires access and you need the clearance eligibility. Education does not impact need to know. Period. If you are the person hired, and you meet the hiring requirements, and all other factors are acceptable, not having education will not enter the decision. However, if one indicated they had these qualifications and they in fact did not…and they require a position of trust…they have proved they are not trustworthy. I would anticipate a problem if this is the case.
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Just to clear up the terminology, you are not being investigated for a security clearance, but rather eligibility for placement into a public trust position (SF-85P form). It has no requirement to access classified information. Amberbunny is correct in that a lack of education has no bearing on your passing a background investigation as long as there is no dishonesty about your qualifications.
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What do you mean no dishonesty about your qualifications??
Scott . . . If some put on their resume or their security application that they graduated from James Woods High School and they did not in fact graduate, they were dishonest about their qualifications.
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So as long as you don’t lie on the sf 85 you should be ok?
Basically . . . Yes . . .
Did you get the job with no ged
What if my application said I had my diploma but I got my ged right after the job offer, before the sf85 form is filled out. Honest mistake I had expected to graduate and never updated that when I applied for the federal position which didn’t specifically state it required that, but I am qualified as far as education goes now so that should be fine right?
If you claimed you had a diploma when you did not have one…you were not truthful…and you filled out a form…where they need assess your…truthfulness. See how that conflicts? I commend you for completing an equivalent. But at some point you claimed you already had something you did not in fact have. Are there any other areas where you claimed one thing, but the truth was different? If you put yourself into a position where people cannot believe what you answer…it goes without saying that they may not believe other things you have to say. It might be in your best long term self interest to contact HR, correct the record on diploma vs GED and the date completed. Moving forward be congruent on what you state.
See the problem? It wasn’t a “mistake”. You lied on your job application. At least it looks to me like you told the truth on your security application.
It appears to me that your problem is with the company not your security application. You asked if you should be “fine” . . . We can’t tell you because we don’t know much about the company that you are applying with. I think that you should be OK. I don’t see any reason that the company would discover your lie since you now have your GED. But, you need to be far more careful in the future.
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Ed is right and we have seen a lot of high profile people lie about education, military service, awards, decorations etc. And in most cases they are fired. I believe my current and three within 15 years companies all have a disclaimer at the end prior to submitting or a “claimer” telling me I am swearing all information is true, and deliberately falsified info is grounds for termination.