In a packed auditorium at Austin Community College’s Eastview Campus, Suha Kavakli addressed students being inducted into the National Adult Education Honor Society.
Kavakli was inducted last year and had a simple message for her fellow students: “I will pursue my future with determination.”
Kavakli is no stranger to determination. In 2010, when she was 17, Kavakli moved from Iraq to Austin as a Palestinian refugee, with no high school diploma in tow. Schooling wasn’t so easy for her in Texas, either.
“I was bullied a lot for not speaking English, for wearing a scarf,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting it to be that much.”
She dropped out after three months, got married, and had two kids. Then, in 2021, she decided to get her GED so she could have a career of her own.
“My husband told me, ‘go to school. Don’t just be at home,’” she said. “’Don’t wait for anybody to do things for you. You fight for yourself.’”
Living in the U.S. is becoming less affordable. A study by the Urban Institute showed people are struggling to pay for essentials like food, childcare, and housing. This is a complex problem, but one area of hope is adult education programs, which can help people increase their ability to earn as prices rise.
The hope of better earnings is often what drives people into GED classes. Earning potential goes up when adult education students get the certificate.
Sharon Bonney, CEO of the Coalition on Adult Basic Education, says improving educational outcomes for adults is one way to combat the affordability crisis.
“There have been studies done that show for every dollar given to adult education, there’s a $60 return to the economy,” she said. “Because it helps (people) to get a better job.”
A better job means people pay more taxes and have more money to buy consumer goods. They are also less likely to need public assistance, according to Literacy Pittsburgh CEO Carey Harris.
“If anything, they become much more self-sufficient and that pays dividends for all of us,” she said.
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Harris says, historically, adult education enrollment has increased when the economy slows down. This is true not just for GED classes, but also workforce training certifications.
“Because people need to up-skill to get back in the job market and be competitive,” she said. “Also, because these programs are free for the most part. This is a way to get up-skilled without investing money.”
Kavakli says the free classes she can access at Austin Community College after completing her GED was one draw to continuing her education. Her goal is to become a radiologist because of the job prospects — and she also likes the opportunity for continuing education within the field.
“In radiology, you keep growing and there is no stop to it,” she said. “And that’s what I wanted.”
Austin Community College receives money from the federal government to help fund programs like the one Kavakli is in. These dollars have been uncertain in recent months. President Trump proposed deep cuts in his 2026 budget proposal, though Congress did reject them.
And when you look at the numbers, it’s hard to argue the value of adult education. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, people with a high school diploma earn about $10,000 more a year than those without.
Adult education can be a long road, but Austin Community College Adult Education Dean Kathy Dowdy says it offers students a way forward.
“They need a place to come and to have hope,” she said. “And that’s us.”
Kavakli is on that long road now, taking classes online. Her hope for her daughter is the same message she shared to her fellow adult ed students at ACC.
“I want to be a living example for her,” she said. “I’m fighting for it and I’m not gonna stop fighting for it until I get it.”
