Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal government provides funds to states for special education in exchange for which eligible students with disabilities acquire an enforceable right to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) until age 21. The only exception to that continuing guarantee is the student who has obtained a "regular" high school diploma which the IDEA defines as the diploma "awarded to the preponderance of students in the state that is fully aligned with state standards" and "does not include a recognized equivalent of a diploma," such as a general equivalency diploma.