The GED® (General Education Development) program was initially established by the US War Department in the 1940s to assist military personnel in getting additional education and work options.
These days, the GED high school equivalency test is used by tens of thousands of adults and gives them one more chance to become better educated and qualify for better jobs. The GED diploma is available for people who use ASL (American Sign language) as well.
In the US, there are roughly 40 million people who, for some reason, never finished high school, and the GED program is primarily designed for them.