MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Dropouts and students who failed Alabama’s graduation exam are heading to community colleges for the state’s new high-school diploma.

More than 125 adults had joined the free program two days after enrollment opened, the Alabama Community College System’s adult education director, David Walters, told al.com.

That’s exciting, since there hadn’t been any formal announcement about enrollment, he said. Walters said people learned about the new option through “word of mouth and getting it out there and the school systems’ being aware of it.”

He said the state’s economic development is hurt by the high number of Alabama adults — 500,000 — who don’t have a high-school or equivalent General Education Development diploma.

Some people have earned credentials for the new diploma in less than a month, said Kip Williamson, director of adult education at Northeast Alabama Community College.

He said one, a veteran who had been out of school for 10 years, is now taking standard community college courses.

He said one of the first to enroll was a student who had earned the 24 credits needed to graduate but failed parts of the exit exam, and had been out of school for three or four years. His scores on the ACT WorkKeys exams earned him the diploma, Williamson said.

Students must be at least 17 years old and have earned at least 10 credits in high school to enroll.

They need to get an official transcript from the Alabama public high school they last attended, telling officials at the school that they plan to get a nontraditional diploma. School officials will start credit verification with the community college system. Once the student has completed all requirements, that’s the school that will award the diploma.

The program has one pathway for students who earned less than 24 credits and another for those who earned 24 credits but failed at least one part of the exit exam. Just what is needed is individually determined, and can include scores at certain levels on tests including the GED and ACT WorkKeys. Prior work experience and successful passage in a ready-to-work or career pathway course can also earn credits.

Schools’ graduation rates aren’t affected by granting nontraditional diplomas.