"For these folks who may have had to drop out of school for financial reasons or to go to work to support their family because their parents lost their job, any number of situations, and because we're always focused on education and educational opportunities ... this is a way for us to help adults that may be in a bad situation," Stephens said. "Along with the way we've set up the GED scholarship with Chattahoochee Tech is to include in the scholarship the $15 application fee to Chattahoochee Tech so this will encourage people not only to get their GED, but to enroll in college."
The $1,000 check, which was presented at the committee's June business meeting, will be used specifically to offset the fees of the exams for students in need.
"This money couldn't have come at a better time," Chattahoochee Technical College Executive Director of Adult Education Jon Collins said in a press release. "The $95 fee for the exams increased July 1 to $160."
Stephens said as more people reach for educational opportunities, there are more opportunities for better jobs.
"We're trying to bring this thing full circle. If we can get them on the right path and get them employed then it helps them out, it helps the community out, it helps the economy out and hopefully we'll get folks off of unemployment faster and help the recovery process," Stephens said.
According to the release, "The new price structure applies to all current tests and coincides with the nationwide implementation of a computer-based GED test. The Technical College System of Georgia Office of Adult Education is currently piloting the computer-based test at two technical college locations and plans to implement it at all GED testing centers statewide by year-end.
"This is the first price increase for the GED test in five years, when the previous cost for each of the five test components rose from $13 to the current $19 (or $95 for the full test battery). The new price factors in the cost of the development, implementation, delivery and use of the test, including the computer-based version.
"All of the other essential adult education programs, including Adult Basic Education, GED test preparation classes, college and career advisement, and English as a Second Language classes, remain available free of charge to any Georgian. Last year, almost 80,000 Georgians took advantage of easy access to those programs."
For more information about Chattahoochee Technical College and the college's Adult Education Program, visit www.ChattahoocheeTech.edu or call 770-528-4545.