Illinoisans Can Earn a State of Illinois High School Diploma Free of Charge This Summer
Illinois Community College Board will pay for thousands of Illinois residents to take the GED® exam

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[July 11, 2023]     The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) is picking up the cost for state residents to earn a State of Illinois High School Diploma (formerly high school equivalency certificate).

Over 1.2 million Illinoisans don’t have a high school diploma. The state grant funding can be used in the form of discount codes to take the tests free of charge.

“People that earn a high school diploma make $600 more a month on average so taking these tests and earning that diploma is a big deal. It can lead to better lives for thousands of Illinoisans and we want to remove as many barriers as possible,” said ICCB Executive Director Brian Durham.

To educate the public, the ICCB has launched a digital campaign to spread the word about the critical grant funding available to take the test for free using the discount code ILSAVE.

Interested residents can go to FREEGEDIL.ORG to access the testing site, use the code and take the test.

“Receiving a State of Illinois High School Diploma is the first step on a career path to better job opportunities in high-demand Jobs,” said Jennifer Foster, Deputy Executive Director, and State Administrator of High School Equivalency for ICCB.

The GED test is administered by a third-party company. The cost for the test without the discount code is $144. Illinois residents have until September 30 to use the code to take the exam for free.

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About the Illinois Community College Board

The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) is the state coordinating organization for the Illinois Community College System - the third largest in the country and the leading public workforce development trainer in the state. The ICCB has statutory responsibility for administering state and federal grants to community college districts and adult education providers and managing high school equivalency testing for Illinois. Illinois community colleges serve over 600,000 residents each year in credit, noncredit, and continuing education courses. Illinois is home to 48 colleges in 39 community college districts which provide high-quality, accessible, cost-effective educational opportunities to the entire state.

[Matt Berry
Chief of Staff
Illinois Community College Board]

 

 

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