The Lake Land College Alternative Education Club recently donated $432 to the College’s Opportunity Fund, a financial reserve available to help students overcome barriers in education. The donated money will be used to cover the cost of GED testing for three students in the College’s Adult Education Program.
To raise the funds to cover GED exam costs, members of the Alternative Education Club arranged goodie bags and sold them to students, staff and faculty on campus. With the money raised through these efforts, three Lake Land College Adult Education students will receive full funding to cover the $144 GED exam cost.
“For most, if not all, of us in Alternative Education Club, taking the GED test is an experience we’ve gone through,” said Deanna Clark, President of the Alternative Education Club. “To be able to lift that financial burden and allow students to expand their opportunities is what the Alternative Education Club and Lake Land College are all about.”
The Alternative Education Club supports Lake Land College students who followed non-traditional pathways to pursue higher education, including GED, homeschooled and international students. In addition to its recent fundraising efforts, the club regularly hosts activities and organizes networking opportunities to help alternative pathway students throughout their college journeys.
“The work these students are doing shows outstanding commitment to the Laker Community and will leave lasting impressions on the College long after they graduate,” said Kim Hunter, Director of Student Success Services and Alternative Education Club Advisor.
The Lake Land College Adult Education Program provides GED preparation courses throughout the College’s district, helping students develop the skills they need to pass the state-issued exam. Lake Land’s preparation courses are provided for free, with the GED exam itself being the only charge the College does not cover.
“One of the most common hurdles for our GED students is finances,” Director of Adult Education Dustyn Fatheree explained. “Fronting the cost of GED testing can be overwhelming, frustrating and, in some cases, impossible for students to navigate. Receiving donated funds from the Alternative Education Club will help a number of our students achieve their goal of passing the GED and receiving their high school diploma.”
To learn more about Lake Land College’s GED preparation courses, visit the Lake Land College website at LakeLandCollege.edu/Adult-Education or contact Adult Education at 217-238-8292 or adulteducation@lakelandcollege.edu.
To learn more about campus clubs and other opportunities for student engagement at Lake Land College, visit the Lake Land College website at LakeLandCollege.edu/Student-Life.