In many states, high-achieving high school students have long had the ability to skip their senior year. Such policies enable motivated young people who fulfill graduation requirements to move on to college or a career--saving time and money for their families and society. A growing number of states are going further, with financial rewards for students who take a fast track to graduation and college. Strategies that seek more efficient use of taxpayer dollars by accelerating high school completion hold great appeal during challenging fiscal times. This brief provides guidance for state policymakers who seek savings through programs that will get more students to finish high school faster. This policy brief draws on Jobs for the Future's extensive work helping states develop and promote sound policies and practice that create stronger pathways from high school to and through college for low-income, minority, and first-generation students.