Fraudulent online GEDs and high school diplomas are a problem, and many states, government organizations, colleges, and educational institutions are taking action against frauds involving fake GEDs and degrees.

In Long Island, New York, Robert Collins offered fraudulent at-home GED tests, claiming falsely that these at-home tests awarded a GED. Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo prosecuted Collins, who must serve a jail sentence and pay restitution.

A Westland, Michigan woman who applied for financial aid for herself and others at several community colleges is facing charges of fraud for falsely reporting that she earned a GED and receiving thousands of dollars in financial aid.

Similarly, three former employees of Vatterot College in Kansas City, Missouri, were charged with 37 criminal counts, for conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Department of Education by applying for financial aid for students who had not received a GED or high school diploma. Only students who have received a GED or high school diploma are eligible for federal financial aid.

The GED is an important program for people who did not graduate high school and need better opportunities for the future. Fraudulent GEDs and false GED reporting are harmful to the educational system and to individuals seeking the knowledge and skills to succeed.

Learning for the GED is a self-driven activity, so GED learners need to take charge of their learning. Often, the only type of learning that a GED student is familiar with is classroom learning, involving a lot of memorization of facts and dates and run by a teacher who directs what everyone should do. Studying on your own is different and more effective.

The GED doesn’t depend on memorization. It depends on understanding, and learning for understanding doesn’t necessarily mean getting everything right. According to a recent study by Nate Kornell, Matthew Hays, and Robert Bjork at UCLA, making errors and mistakes as you learn can actually help you understand and remember. The results of this study showed that if students take hard tests or practice difficult questions and get the wrong answers, they learn better.

Trying and failing serves a purpose! Getting the wrong answer gets your attention, and gives you incentive to learn. It shows you where you need to go. Understanding that a wrong answer isn’t “bad” can help a lot. Many GED students get frustrated with wrong answers, but think of a wrong answer as a learning tool, another step toward your GED.

So, how can you use wrong answers as learning tools in your own GED studying? When you’re studying a topic, don’t be afraid to test yourself, and don’t be afraid of difficult questions. Give answering your best shot, and then, if you get the wrong answer, find out why. Getting the wrong answer will actually help you learn better.

Make sure your GED study materials include good answers to practice questions, answers that will help you learn after each wrong answer. That’s a key to success, taking your wrong answers and turning them into learning. It’s one of the cornerstones that GED Academy builds into its GED Prep Program. If you look at the explanation of a question you’ve gotten wrong and don’t really understand it, try going back and finding the answer in your study materials or online, or talking to a teacher, tutor, friend, or family member who can help you understand. The wrong answer is your motivation, so use it as your jumping-off point for learning.

The study “Unsuccessful retrieval attempts enhance subsequent learning.” can be found at: http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=buy.optionToBuy&id=2009-09620-017&CFID=24407194&CFTOKEN=49068829

Employers, colleges, and government agencies don’t accept “diplomas” bought through online sites where the only requirement is an online test or life experience. Why? Because a cat can go online and buy that kind of diploma. At the GED Academy, an online study program that prepares you for the real GED, we hear a lot of stories from people who spent hundreds of dollars on a “high school diploma” from an online site, only to find out it was worthless.

John, from Lynbrook, New York, wanted to become a cop. He bought a “diploma” from a website, not realizing that they were only selling him a piece of paper. He found out that colleges and employers wouldn’t take it. Kimberly, the mother of two boys, was working at a school. She bought a “diploma” online for her job, only to find out that it was no good. She lost her job because she didn’t have an accepted high school equivalency diploma.

The actual GED exam is taken at an official test center. When you pass, the high school equivalency diploma is issued by your state department of education. The GED is accepted by almost all U.S. employers and colleges, including the U.S. military and police forces around the country. The American Council on Education (ACE), the organization that develops the GED exam, warns against fraudulent online “diplomas,” which cost unsuspecting people between $200 and $1,200, but are worth nothing.

In our modern society, we expect convenience and immediacy. Technology has made online banking, online classes, and online living a part of daily life. Many people looking for high school diplomas are asking: why isn’t there an online GED test?

Since 1942, more than 12 million adults have earned GED diplomas. Still, today there are over 39 million adults without a high school diploma, and the demand for a high school education is higher than ever. Because of this, there is a growing demand for the GED. Meanwhile, the Internet has given us many new options–online shopping, online gaming, and online classes. More and more people are asking: Can I take the GED online?

The GED test cannot be taken online or at home. “‘Why not? It’s just a test, isn’t it?’ is what students ask,” says Michael Ormsby, president of The GED Academy. The GED, he explains, is not really just a test. Passing the GED test is a significant accomplishment; GED certificate holders have higher skills than a third of high school graduates. The 95% of colleges and employers that accept and value the GED need to know that a GED credential is a substantial, meaningful achievement. The GED test is designed to be a valuable measure of basic skills in reading, writing, social studies, science and math as well as important skills in critical thinking, evaluation, and problem solving. To ensure the validity of these measurements, the GED is administered in a controlled environment by a proctor, where the identity of all test-takers can be checked. The careful design and administration of the GED test gives it value to employers, colleges, and ultimately test-takers.

Unfortunately, unscrupulous businesses are always ready to take advantage of people who are looking for an easy way to make up for not graduating high school. Online “high school” tests and schools are often worthless “diploma mills,” cheating customers out of $200 to $1,000 for a diploma that will be rejected by savvy employers and colleges.

A real GED can increase adults’ overall income by $350,000 over the course of their lifetimes, and if GED graduates go on to trade school, community college, or a university, their total lifetime income could be almost a million dollars higher. The value of the GED comes not just from a piece of paper but from having the measurable GED skills that are essential in today’s job market. For more information about GED online study programs, visit: www.passged.com

For more information:
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Contact: Michael@essentialed.org
Michael Ormsby
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39 million American adults never earned a high school diploma. Throughout the country, there is a push to re-educate these adults so they can earn a GED and become eligible for higher-paying jobs and higher education. But many never try for their GED. Why?

Thirty-nine million adult Americans have no high school degree, and each one has a reason why. Educator Michael Ormsby of The GED Academy states, “I hear the stories of many people looking to earn a GED. People say, ‘I can’t…’ all the time.” Students reasons why “they can’t” earn the GED fall into a few common categories.

1. “It’s too hard.”

Is the GED too difficult for adults without a high school diploma? It’s a series of five tests in reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, and science. Each test can be taken as many times as needed until they are passed. In other words, by taking time and focusing on one area of study at a time, a test-taker can work through each area of the GED. “It’s important to realize,” adds Ormsby, “that the GED requires understanding of specific skills in each area.” The GED Academy recommends that students find out what areas they need to work on by taking a pretest. Then, adult learners should find a study program that will fit their needs, in their community, in a bookstore, or online. By focusing study and sticking to a study plan, almost any adult can acquire the skills needed to pass the GED.

2. “Studying is boring.”

A recent study supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation found the most high school dropouts leave school because they found school uninteresting, boring and not relevant to their lives. The majority of these students had grade point averages of C or better and could have succeeded in school had they continued. (http://www.essentialed.org/thesilentepidemic3-06.pdf)

Traditional approaches — like studying out of test-prep books — can be frustrating to adult learners. There are more options today for how to study than ever before, though. Internet and software study programs allow students to study at their own pace, and the best programs have entertaining, visual presentations. Discriminating adult students focus on what type of learning works best for them to find the right study method.

3. “I don’t have time to go to classes.”

Most people studying for the GED are adults, with adult responsibilities including a job, a spouse, and children. Going to classes takes time, but there are many options for studying at home at any pace. Making time for the GED doesn’t need to involve a lot of driving or a set schedule. Ormsby recommends that students set aside a little bit of time each day to work toward their goal. “If you’re managing your own study time, it’s important to find a program that can keep you interested and motivated, so look into software or online programs that are visual and entertaining.”

4. “I can’t learn all the things I missed in four years of high school.”

Because the GED is a high school equivalency exam, many test-takers expect that it will require all the knowledge taught in four years of high school. However, the GED focuses, not on memorization of facts, figures, and dates, but on fundamental skills: math skills, communication skills, and critical thinking skills. Test-takers need to focus their learning on how to think for the GED to acquire the fundamental problem solving, analysis, critical thinking, communications, and mathematics skills that are needed to pass. “Depending on their existing skill level,” Ormsby states, “properly preparing for the GED can take weeks or months, not years.”

5. “I don’t need a GED.”

Many undereducated adults have jobs, but most of them are underpaid and lack security. The job market is growing more and more limited for people without high school diplomas. A worker who is suddenly faced with unemployment will find it difficult to find a new job, and a worker who wants to advance in his or her firm may find promotions blocked without a high school degree. In a competitive job market, employers continue to look for applicants with more education and qualifications. Without a high school diploma, the average income is about $18,000 per year. With one, it jumps to nearly $26,000 — and if you go on to finish college, the average income leaps to about $44,000. Based on those figures, a GED is a necessity. For more information about GED online study programs, visit: www.passged.com