A Denver community college that offers adults a chance to get a GED-like certificate for $50 says the new offer is very popular and successful. It includes classes at hours friendly for people with jobs.
SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
People who drop out of high school often have a hard time going back to earn their diploma or get a GED. Colorado has passed a couple of laws to help them out and to get them on track for a college credential. Colorado Public Radio’s Jenny Brundin reports.
JENNY BRUNDIN, BYLINE: About 87% of Americans graduate high school. For the other 13%, dropping out can seem like the only option.
DELANA WILSON, BYLINE: I didn’t have a good mother, so I grew up, like, really fast. I had to raise her, etc., and I didn’t get a chance to go to high school.
BRUNDIN: This is Delana Wilson.
WILSON: And there was just a lot of trauma going on then, so…
BRUNDIN: She moved around and tried to get her GED or pass the HiSET exam – both tests equivalent to a high school diploma.
WILSON: They always told me I’m one, two points away.
BRUNDIN: Each GED exam costs money, and with each failure, her self-esteem chipped away.
WILSON: So I just always felt like, OK, these people are trying to tell me I’m stupid.
BRUNDIN: A lot of people need more tutoring support to pass a GED exam. By 2031, Colorado will be one of the four states, plus D.C., where it’s hardest for people to find jobs without more than a high school diploma, according to a Georgetown University projection. So the state is trying something new – letting community colleges offer high school diplomas.
JOSH MARGOLIN: The status quo, the system as it is, it’s not working. It’s leaving too many people behind in a state of discouragement, and they’re actively seeking alternatives.
BRUNDIN: Josh Margolin is with the Community College of Denver. It helps students earn diplomas and learn the rigor to pursue college certificates and degrees in high-demand fields. Delana Wilson had tried other programs seven times when she heard about CCD. She was 34.
WILSON: What am I doing here? But then I go, well, like, my 15-year-old told me, you’re never too old to go back to school, Mom, you know? And I’m going to make it the best $50 I put down, I tell you.
BRUNDIN: So what’s distinct about this program? Fifty bucks – pay that, and then you can take an exam and get credit for what you already know. It’s self-paced. Students can finish in as little as five weeks. But the $50 covers a full year, and in-person classes run evenings and weekends for working adults.
JUSTIN AVILA: What’s squared, cubed? Going (ph) to do 4 times 4.
BRUNDIN: Justin Avila, a packer at a brewery, wants to move up. Teachers like Amber Gardner check on more than his math progress.
AMBER GARDNER: Learning requires us to feel uncomfortable.
AVILA: Yeah. I just sometimes get so frustrated and that the answer is not coming out the way it should.
GARDNER: It gets hard.
AVILA: Yeah.
GARDNER: And…
AVILA: Yeah.
GARDNER: …You keep going.
AVILA: I remember why I didn’t pass this in high school.
BRUNDIN: She reminds him why he’s doing this. He now wants to take college classes, like in welding.
GARDNER: You must be proud of yourself.
AVILA: Yeah. I feel like I’m getting somewhere that I really need to be.
BRUNDIN: So far, 1 in 5 graduates has decided to move on to college classes. To break even, it will take 1 in 4. For now, the college and donors cover the cost. Colorado spends far less than other states on adult education, and advocates want more state funding to expand. The demand for it is clear – a thousand-person waiting list. On her eighth try, Delana Wilson graduated.
WILSON: I couldn’t believe it.
BRUNDIN: She’s spent 14 years caring for elderly people – a job she loves. Now she’s enrolled in classes to become a behavioral health specialist.
WILSON: It gave me more than just confidence. It gave me a sense of self. It allowed me to know, now you can believe in yourself. Don’t worry about all that. Don’t worry about what they said to you as a child growing up. Don’t worry about that ’cause look what you just did.
BRUNDIN: For NPR News, I’m Jenny Brundin.
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Jenny Brundin 2025-11-25 21:06:39
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