MIDLAND, Texas — At Midland College, they are seeing growth in students enrolling for their GED courses in person and online.
GED Coordinator, Shana Hannsz says, "that’s huge it meets their needs cell were able to connect with them in that sense and give them something that otherwise they probably couldn't get."
The college's increase in the enrollment for these courses can be due to many students dropping out or withdrawing from high school classes during the pandemic.
"With the pandemic and you know it put them behind and maybe they didn’t feel secure enough to go back in the sense of knowing they can complete it maybe they fell too far behind, this is a great option for them," says Hannsz.
According to the TEA, 50.6% of students were expected to drop out last year but here at Midland College because of their GED program they have on average 100-200 students enrolled. Now because of the COVID slide they do expect those numbers to go up.
Which is why at Midland College they hope to take students even further than just getting their GED.
"I’m just here cause I need to get my GED but then they find themselves looking at all the programs and seeing all the other students in. I’ve made it this far I can keep going and of course we encourage them to keep going," she says.
"Everybody has gaps they enter in our program with gaps from wherever it may have come from but that’s what we do we fill in those aps for them and that allows them at the end to complete the GED exam and move forward,"
With the program moving forward and hoping to fill more classroom seats, to help more students see their potential.
