Though more data is needed on the exact number of Houstonians 21 and over who lack a high school diploma, roughly 80% of people in the Houston/Pasadena/Woodlands metro are high school graduates or higher. So, according to CensusReporter.org’s 2022 data, about one in five adults in the Greater Houston area lack a high school diploma.
That reality comes with real-world economic consequences, which the Houston Public Library (HPL) and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) want to address.
TSLAC recently awarded HPL a $75,000 Special Projects Grant to expand its Career Online High School Program. The funding will provide scholarships to 40 new participants in FY25, enabling adults 21 and older to earn an accredited diploma online.
Applicants must have completed at least the eighth grade and pass a prerequisite course with 70% or higher. To apply, potential students must take a brief survey to determine eligibility. The application deadline for scholarship funding is Dec. 30, 2024.
“Students who want to complete their high school diploma shouldn’t have to deal with the burden of extra costs,” said HPL Community Engagement Division Manager Mercedes Clarke. “These funds will allow more students to achieve this milestone and gain other opportunities.”
One of those “opportunities” is the chance to dramatically increase their earnings.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the third quarter of 2023, full-time workers aged 25 and over across all levels of education had median weekly earnings of $1,172, which amounts to roughly $61,000/year.
Here’s how various groups faired during that time period:
- Those without a high school diploma: $721 median weekly earnings ($37,500/year)
- High school graduates with no college: $905 median weekly earnings ($47,100/year)
- Workers with some college or an associate degree: $1,012 median weekly earnings ($52,625/year)
- Workers with a bachelor’s degree and no additional degree: $1,499 median weekly earnings ($78,000/year)
- Workers with an advanced degree: $1,864 median weekly earnings ($97,000/year)
HPL’s program and the grant funding it seeks to give individuals a head start on opportunities to earn more money.
The grant is part of over 40 awarded this year by TSLAC, funded through the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the Library Services and Technology Act.
“TSLAC is pleased to recognize and support the important work of Texas libraries in delivering innovative information services that strengthen local literacy, workforce and digital opportunity efforts,” said TSLAC Director and Librarian Gloria Meraz.
For more information about this program, please contact HPL’s community engagement and education team at 832-393-1737.
