What Happens If You Don’t Go to High School Graduation?

High school is an important time for young people in terms of ensuring their future success.

Graduating from high school gets you one step closer to your dreams, and it sets the stage for the next 50 years of your life.

However, there is a big argument about attending high school graduation: Is it worth it or not?

What happens if you don’t go to high school graduation?  If you are qualified to graduate and opt not to go to your graduation ceremony, your school will keep your diploma for you to pick up later. Some schools even send it beforehand by mail if they know you are not going to attend.

This article will answer the question of what will happen if you cannot attend your high school graduation.

Aside from that, I will give you some of the reasons why acquiring a diploma is important. Check them out below.

What If You Miss Your Graduation?

For many schools, a graduation is an opt-out event. It is more of a ceremony, and it does not affect your grades and credits.

School is over before graduation, anyway, so there won’t be a penalty for not participating.

Many schools notify their students that their graduation is coming and will ask around about who will be present.

Also, some families schedule their family vacations or other family events during this time.

Also, many graduations nowadays are only for promotional and bragging purposes. For this reason, the event can be a boring activity for some.

It really isn’t a big deal for many students. Skipping graduation is one way to save money, as you won’t need to pay for your cap and gown rental.

Many schools do not hand out the actual diploma during the graduation ceremony. They have the students pick up the real certificate at a later date.

This is a great move to ensure that all fees and fines are paid first. After all the expenses are paid, you can get your real diploma.

Earning the Diploma Is Important

When it comes to commencement exercises, walking during the ceremony is technically not required for you to graduate.

If you don’t want to go, you are free to do so, and no one can force you to come. However, many people attend graduation ceremonies because it is a highlight in a person’s life.

Once you are an adult, moments when people recognize you for achieving your aspirations will be few and far between.

Earning a diploma is far more important than walking in the ceremony.

Also, not finishing high school will create major consequences for both young people and the nation.

Here are some of the circumstances that you will face if you fail to graduate from high school:

Jobs Will Be Difficult to Get

If you fail to graduate from high school, there is a high chance that you will be unemployed.

According to studies, back in 2007, high school graduates’ unemployment rate was 19.9%, while the unemployment rate for people failing high school was over 26.9%.

You’ll Get a Job That Doesn’t Pay Well

If you happen to secure a job without a high school diploma, the chances are that it will be low-wage.

Dropouts earn about $260,000 less in their lifetime as compared to a high school graduate.

According to statistics, a high school dropout’s annual income is about $17,000, while a high school graduate earns about $26,000 and more.

If you are lucky and earned a bachelor’s degree, you can earn up to $52,000 and more.

You Could End up on Welfare

If you didn’t finish high school, you are more likely to end up on welfare. This means that you are more likely to apply for and receive food stamps and Medicaid.

For instance, people who failed to finish high school result in about $17 billion in Medicaid costs.

This can hurt the country, as the nation’s welfare programs are meant to be used during an emergency, such as economic downturns, and not as a replacement for work.

You’ll Face Increased Odds of Going to Prison

This might sound like an exaggeration, but the United States has the highest prison population in the world.

According to the records, 82% of American prisoners are high school dropouts.

If the schools and the state invest in and focus on increasing the high school graduation rate, it could reduce crime-related costs enough to generate $8 billion in revenue and savings every year.

Alternative Options

School systems do not give up on their students. There might be some social or psychological reasons for a decline in high school graduates.

As a result, schools offer alternatives for students who do not fit into their traditional setup.

One particular program that is currently ongoing is the GED or General Education Development test.

The GED was established in 1942 to help war veterans finish their education and return to civilian life.

The GED tests students in knowledge equivalent to high school education. This consists of language arts, science, social studies, and mathematics.

Conclusion

Attending a graduation ceremony is always up to the student. Failing to attend graduation will not affect the student’s record.

The graduation ceremony is more about commemorating all the students who did their best throughout the school year.

It’s the school’s way of appreciating its students, celebrating the end of an era, and starting a new phase in a student’s life.