Resources ready for pathway to a better future

We put a lot of time and treasure into our educational system, but some students just don't quite fit in.

Perhaps it's because of poor choices by the students themselves. Perhaps it's because of a disrupted homelife, pregnancy, illness or other factors beyond the student's control.

For whatever the reason, that first major milestone, a high school diploma, has escaped the student's grasp.

For them, the GED -- General Educational Development -- credential offers a real and important pathway to a better future.

How much better?

As Kathy Fickenscher, Chief GED Examiner at North Platte Community College noted, people like comedian Bill Cosby, journalist and news anchor Peter Jennings, Wendy's founder Dave Thomas and former U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Famous Amos Cookie Co. founder Wally Amos and actor and comedian Chris Rock all started with their GEDs.

Yes, those are exceptional people -- Cosby went on to earn his doctorate in education -- what about the average student?

Well, recent studies showed GED graduates make an average of $385,000 more in their lifetime than people without a GED.

And, since 98 percent of colleges and universities that require a high school diploma will accept the GED credential, that GED can lead to a college degree that boosts average income to $44,000 for those who hold one.

A GED is no piece of cake. It's designed to measure all the major academic skills and knowledge in core content areas that are learned during four years of high school, Fickenscher said.

But when they do successfully complete the 71⁄2-hour test, they are eligible for the State of Nebraska Department of Education High School Diploma.

The GED Tests battery covers five areas: Language arts, writing, reading, mathematics, science and social studies. Except for Part II of the language arts writing test, which requires an essay, and the mathematics test, which requires the gridding of some answers, questions are provided in multiple-choice format.

Each test is $10, or $50 for the complete battery.

But don't delay; a new computerized system will replace the current test on Jan. 1, 2014, and any incomplete or non-passing GED testing records currently on file or starting from 2002 will be nullified and test-takers will have to start over.

In other words, if you start on your GED now, plan to complete it by December 2013.

There are plenty of opportunities for students to study for, and complete their GEDs in Southwest Nebraska. Testing sites are located in McCook, Imperial and Ogallala as well as North Platte and Valentine. You can study for the GED tests by enrolling in the college's free Adult Education Program.

For more information, call Fickenscher at (308) 535-3621 in North Platte, or Benjamin Smith at McCook Community College at (308) 345-8131.

A GED can be that important milestone that helps you start down the path to a better life. The people and programs that can help you reach it are ready and waiting.