I have first hand experience with this and my son 6 years ago. He struggled in school since Kindergarten, and somehow was promoted each year. He completely bombed the 9th grade but somehow once again was moved on to the 10th. He failed everything all year, and at 17 he dropped out midway thru the 10th grade. He had his GED with a month, and a good job soon thereafter. By the time his classmates graduated he was making $40K / yr. Last year he made $80K and just got another promotion last week that will put him just under $100K. He is a hard worker and always has been. We knew from a very early age he just wasn’t cut out for school, although we never shared that with him. I realize this route is not for most, but it makes me proud to see what my dropout has accomplished in a short period of time.