I did—dropped out of High School,and started college-—BUT I was on probation—if got a C or lower, I would have been out! (I worked my butt off and got As) went on to do post grad work. and got degree. I couldn’t do it now.
Look, if colleges dump kids who can’t graduate from high school AND kids who can’t finish college in 6 years - where will our teachers come from??
I am trying to get into Grad School right now, and I found other applicants that do not have Bachelor’s. I also found that those who were born in this country are about 25% of the applicants ... the rest are foreign born. This is at a top 10 school.
GED - its not a HS diploma
I went to college without a High School diploma. All of my pre-entry test scores were excellent except for math. I had a 7th grade level so I had to a remedial math course, and then 2 others to being me up to where I could take the College Algebra course.
During my time in remedial math, I was given a questionnaire regarding other education, and life experiences and so was given credit for a small amount of other classes I’d taken here and there, as well as certain life experiences. Because all of my entry test scores were so good, all combined I was awarded a GED.
I graduated college with a 3.67 GPA and donated 4 years of volunteer service to the community to say ‘thank-you’ for the opportunity to go to college. All of my college was through Pell Grants AND scholarships with a teeny amount of student loans ..under $1500.00 which I paid plus interest.
I was in my mid 30’s when I enrolled in College...on a whim, and very dissatisfied with my min. wage job. I’d raised a family already, AND had grandchildren.
Although I never did get an outstandingly profitable job, it was still the best thing I could have done for myself, and it set the example for the new up and coming generation being born in my family.
My kids ended up going to college, and now my grandkids are.
The circumstances one is in at 15-18 aren’t necessarily the circumstances you are in by middle age. Nor are you mentally the same. What didn’t work for you as a kid can change drastically when you ‘grow up’ thereby enabling you to succeed.
A high-school diploma proves little to nothing. Lots of people managed to be GIVEN a HSD when they couldn’t read, spell, or even know the difference between To, Too, & Two. I’m not talking about special ed students, either.
I’ve seen many brilliant kids fall through the cracks with poor grades due to whatever attitude an educator wanted to dump on them. Add in discouragement and you have a drop out. Let that kid grow up a bit, and the realization of the importance of training comes into perspective.
It’s sad to see this benefit cut/reduced when corporate welfare is right up there. These business are run by educated CEO’s who can’t manage money or innovation????? So much for high-school diplomas!
You can go a summer semseter on a Pell if you don’t use up your entire pell during the spring semester. Some schools will allow you to apply it toward that summer semester. That’s what I did.
I don’t know how people buy cars or furniture on school money. I was very low income and never did get more than
$300 handed to me after books,tuition, fees were paid.
That 300 paid for my lunches, and other things like notebooks, paper and pens or whatever extra supplies I needed for classes. I had no car and sure could have used one!