A General Equivalency Development test, also known as a GED, is a written test used to measure a person's educational ability. Those who pass the GED, which is divided into five different subjects, are certified as having the academic skills of a high school graduate. A person will generally receive a GED in lieu of a high school diploma. While some scholarships are only available to students who hold a high school diploma, others allow GED recipients to apply.
Scholarship Criteria
Tens of thousands of scholarships are offered to prospective U.S. college students each year. Each scholarship has its own criteria that all applicants must meet to be eligible to receive the award. Some scholarships are only available to high school seniors, while others are targeted at students who have received a high school diploma. However, many scholarships are available to all students who are entering college with either a diploma or a GED.
Academic Background
Although many scholarships make no distinction between applicants who hold a high school diploma and applicants who hold a GED, others demand that applicants study a particular subject in high school or have received a certain grade point average. Many GED recipients have an incomplete or nonexistent high school record. Although GED recipients may have studied hard for the test, a lack of high school classes will make them ineligible for any scholarships that demand such a background.
GED Exclusive Scholarships
Although GED recipients are ineligible for some scholarships, there are other scholarships that are reserved exclusively for students who hold a GED. For example, the Henrico Educational Foundation of Henrico, Virginia, offers a $1,000 scholarship each year to several local GED recipients. Many community colleges offer scholarships to GED recipients as well, such as Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon, which offers a scholarship equivalent to the cost of a full year's tuition.
Age
Because the GED is intended in part to accommodate the needs of students who were unable to finish high school, many GED recipients receive their degrees at an age older than the normal high school graduate. For this reason, many GED recipients are ineligible for scholarships offered by organizations that place age limits on applicants. For example, the Henrico scholarship is only offered to GED recipients who are 19 years or younger.
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