Next year, a new version of the GED high school equivalency test will be launched; it will be more expensive and only be available via computer, rather than the standard pencil-and-paper exam that has been the norm until now. Many states aren't happy about the increased cost and are looking for a replacement.

The GED test was updated, in part, to reflect modern-day demands of college and the job market. Computer literacy, according to administrators, is a key skill that should be acquired and demonstrated via testing. Protests have been raised that it might make passing the test more difficult for older test-takers. Nicole Williams, a 21-year-old mother of three from Missouri, told the AP she hopes to pass the GED test quickly in order to avoid the electronic version. With that program, she said, "you've got to learn how to type, use the computer, plus your GED. That's three things instead of just trying to focus all on your GED test."

The GED has long been administrated by the American Council on Education, who formed a partnership with Pearson, the largest education and testing company in the world. They re-designed the test and, for the first time, made it a for-profit enterprise. The cost of the test will double to $120. Some states subsidize some of this cost, but others add a fee-- so for many students, the test will cost $140 or higher.

This hefty price tag may be a tough pill to swallow for drop-outs who, statistically, have a much greater likelihood of being in poverty, homeless, unemployed, or young parents. Some worry it will impede students from completing the test.

A working group has formed to consider what alternatives are available, and forty states and the District of Colombia are participating. Two test makers, the Educational Testing Service and McGraw Hill, are peddling new tests. This is a sweeping change, because the GED has been virtually the only equivalency test accepted since its introduction in 1942.

Virginia plans to stick with the GED. Susan Clair, director of Virginia's Office of Adult Education and Literacy, told the Washington Post, "It was difficult to really look at these other options when you have someone who is already tried and true."

According to the 2010 census, more than 39 million Americans 16 and older lack a high school diploma. About 7,000 students drop out of high school daily-about 1.3 million a year. Getting a GED greatly increases the chances of future employment.