FRANKFORT, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky is making it easier for adults to get their GED.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced Tuesday that the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet is waiving test fees for first-time GED test takers. He says many people lacking a high school or GED diploma are "stuck in a cycle where they can't get the job to have the dollars to pay the fees for the GED they need to get a better job."
In Kentucky, more than 335,000 adults lack a high school or GED diploma. The fee being waived is $120, and the waiver applies to first-time test takers.
"All of us can agree that, to move our state forward, we cannot have a number like 335,000 people without a high school diploma or GED. These are individuals and families that we need to lift up and help out, and it will move us all forward," Beshear says.
The governor says this year's $600,000 funding will cover test fees for 5,000 people, and he promised to find more money, if needed.
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman says adults lacking high school or GED diplomas are twice as likely to be unemployed and three times as likely to live in poverty
Adults who want to complete their GED can find help at Kentucky Skills U offices in every county in the state. They offer adult education services at no cost.Â
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