Better Salary

• When adults get their GED, they can usually get better salaries. According to Pay Scale, the 2009 average salary for a secretary with a diploma or GED is $32,000, but without the GED it could be less.
  
  

Better Opportunities

• Adults could also benefit from getting a GED because it allows for more career options. For example, if a person wants to become a police officer, he will need the GED to qualify for the position.
  
  

Sense of Accomplishment

• When adults get their GED, they improve their confidence because they achieved their goals and now have a sense of fulfillment. They realize the greater potential for their futures.
  
  

Brings Closure

• In some cases, there were trying circumstances that prevented adults from receiving their original high school diploma, and having the GED can bring some closure to their past. For example, one adult may have dropped out due to a prison sentence but now he may be a changed person and the GED can help him start over.
  
  

Significance

• Everyone should have the chance to receive a good education no matter how late in life it is. According to the U.S. Department of Education, there has been a recent increase in older adults returning to school either to get a GED or to enroll in college.