AT&T Helps Low-Income Students Pay GED Test Fees

Georgia’s adult learners who can’t afford the cost of a GED test are getting some help from AT&T.

AT&T donated $50,000 to the Technical College System of Georgia to create GED testing scholarships for qualified, low-income students. The fund will be administered through the TCSG Office of Adult Education, which manages the state’s GED instruction and testing programs.

“I know first-hand the strong track record of the Technical College System of Georgia and the great work they’re doing to create a strong workforce,” said Sylvia Russell, the president of AT&T Georgia, in a press release. “We’re proud to play a role in their efforts to support adult education in our state.”   

The donation will create an opportunity for almost 800 low-income Georgians to receive a $65 voucher to be used toward the cost of the full GED test. To be considered for the award, the learner must attend a state-approved adult education class and have a minimum score of 500 on each of the five GED practice exams that cover reading, writing, science, social studies and mathematics.

“This donation by AT&T could not have come at a more important time,” said TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson in the release. “The challenging economic conditions and rising costs have forced many of Georgia’s adult learners to put off or even forego taking their GED test, which means that they’re giving up on an opportunity that could lead to a better job and more promising career. Now, thanks to AT&T, some very deserving adult learners will be able to pay their fees and take the GED test in the coming year.”  

Georgians pay $95 to take the full battery of GED tests. The cost is expected to rise in the spring when a new, computer-based test is deployed in collaboration with the national GED Testing Service in Washington.

There are 1.2 million adults in Georgia who do not have a high school or GED diploma. Last year, the TCSG Office of Adult Education served almost 82,000 Georgians through Adult Basic and Secondary Education and GED instruction and testing programs.

More than 19,000 of those adult learners passed the GED test and earned their GED diploma. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2011 Statistical Abstract, a person with a high school or GED diploma earns approximately $10,000 more annually than a person without those education credentials.