Alabama’s REACH Act expands high school diploma options for former students

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabamians who didn’t finish high school now have an easier way to go back and earn their diploma and improve their job prospects.

The new Restoring Educational Advancement of Completing High School, or REACH Act, is designed to help more people get their diplomas, reconnect with education and strengthen the state’s workforce.

Signed into law earlier this month, the REACH Act builds on a partnership between the Alabama Department of Education and the Alabama Community College System that started in 2016.

It expands what was known as the High School Diploma Option program — an alternative to the GED — and lets students take classes at local community colleges through the ACCS Adult Education Division.

Completing that coursework enables students to earn a state-issued diploma from the high school they originally attended, even if their school has closed or many years have passed. A high school diploma can help open doors to better jobs, college or military service.

In 2023, Alabamians with a high school diploma earned $7,000 more on average than those without one, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

“Anyone willing to do what’s necessary to better their situation shouldn’t be held back by an unfortunate event or decision made during their teenage years,” said ACCS Chancellor Jimmy Baker. “One of the best parts of Alabama’s community colleges is that we meet our students where they are.”

Rep. Matt Woods, R-Jasper, who sponsored the bill, said dropping out of high school is often “a fork-in-the-road moment” that can lead to a greater risk of poverty or unemployment. “The best route to success will always include a high school diploma,” Woods said.

To participate, students must be at least 18 years old and have completed at least 12 high school credits. They may have left school or failed the state’s former high school exit exam, which was discontinued in 2013.

The law also requires schools to promote the program to at-risk juniors and seniors and to tell students about it during exit interviews when they leave school. The Department of Education must also share data on students who leave school with ACCS and work with districts with the lowest graduation rates to help improve outcomes.

There’s an incentive for schools to let students know: If a student signs up for coursework within a year of leaving high school, they won’t be counted as a dropout in the school’s graduation rate.

The REACH Act also lowers the minimum age for adult education to 18, which lines up with other efforts like Alabama’s Workforce Pathway diploma option, helping students build career and technical skills while earning their diploma.

Since 2016, 3,499 students have enrolled in the program, and 2,437 have earned their diploma, according to ACCS.