Online college classes are all the rage. Yet many adults are trying to finish their high school education years after their classmates graduated.

Addressing a neED in Connecticut

The Hartford (CT) Public Library (HPL) has decided to take a step toward changing the city’s grim high school graduation statistics by adopting  a new online program that is expected to have more than 25 adults don a virtual cap and gown in less than two years. Called Career Online High School, the program is a service from educational publisher Gale that went live in 2014 and has already launched at several other libraries around the country, including the Sacramento Public Library and the New Orleans Public Library. Hartford opened its digital registration doors on September 23 and has already enrolled two students. Both single mothers, the newly returned high school students cite their own children as the inspiration for their determination to finally earn their diploma. “In Hartford, we have about 30 percent of adults who do not have a high school diploma,” says Matt Poland, HPL’s chief executive officer. “And we saw this as an opportunity.”

Existing options less than ideal for some

While earning General Educational Development Test credentials, better known as a GED, is an option, for some a high school diploma is really the goal. In fact, HPL serves as a GED testing site, and it has been heard from some testers that employers sometimes prefer a diploma over the equivalency, says Poland. Nearly 560,000 people passed their GED in 2013, according to the GED Testing Service, which oversees the exams. That’s far less than the 39 million Americans 16 and older who don’t have a high school diploma , yet aren't enrolled in high school or another educational program, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. While other opportunities for adult learners to get their high school diploma exist, many require physical attendance. One such example is Goodwill’s Excel Center. The free charter school based in Memphis, TN, allows those 18 and older to earn their diploma in less than two years, even without any high school credits at all. But online options are rarely free. A high school degree through the online learning company Penn Foster, for example, is priced between $999 and $1,499, depending on the payment option chosen.

Qualified Hartford students set up to succeed

Hartford is offering their program for free, starting with scholarships for 25 people. Three grants helped cover the $55,000 cost to run the program for its first year, says Poland. While the first two scholarships were granted in October, the library is already interviewing additional candidates. Prospective students are evaluated to be sure they’re able to meet the time commitment. The entire program will take about 10 to 15 hours every week for three to 18 months, depending on how much high school they have already completed. They also need to be able to read at a certain level to complete the courses. Those accepted will be loaned a Google Chromebook and given access to library computers for their classes and homework. The first two scholarship recipients, the single moms, are already planning to make good use of their library’s children’s department, where their kids can play when they’re “in school.” Poland says this is just the first move HPL is taking to support public education in its community. The library believes that by helping to educate parents, they also help their kids, since an educated parent often leads to an educated child. “I think the importance of the program is about addressing what is a significant need in our community,” says Poland. “This is a tool that helps families move forward together with a greater degree of success.”