Kentucky has seen a spike in the number of people signing up for GED testing after officials announced in January the fees would be waived.

The fee being waived is $120, and the waiver applies to first-time test takers.

Gov. Andy Beshear’s office says there has been an 81% increase in the number of signups for the testing, and a 38% increase in those who have earned a GED diploma.

The state’s Education and Workforce Development Cabinet allotted $600,000 in funding in January to waive test fees in an effort to eliminate financial barriers to the testing.

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