GED Promotion Project Incentives

As a complement to our GED advertising and promotional activities, the Foundation has initiated two programs through which we use financial incentives to encourage adults to complete their high school equivalency.

The first of these is the $1,000 GED Graduate Incentive. Through it, the Foundation awards every Patrick County GED student a voucher for $1,000 upon successful completion of the GED program. This voucher can be used over a five-year period in any of three ways:

1. To cover the costs of continuing one’s education. Recipients can use the voucher to pay the cost of tuition, fees and books at an accredited post-secondary institution.
2. To cover the costs of vocational training. Recipients can use the $1,000 to pay fees associated with enrollment in an accredited course designed to enhance vocational and employment skills.
3. To pay local taxes. Recipients can apply the $1,000 toward payment of Patrick County real estate taxes or personal property taxes.

As of June 30, 2006, 127 Patrick County adults have completed their GED since the GED Promotion Project began and the Foundation has invested $127,000 in GED Graduate Incentives.

The second incentive, the GED Graduate-Mentor Program, began in January 2006. Through this program, the Foundation is encouraging Patrick County GED recipients from 2003 through the present to recruit and mentor new GED candidates from enrollment to successful completion. To qualify for this incentive, GED graduate-mentors must sign-up when their recruit begins the GED program. Successful GED graduate-mentors receive a $250 cash reward when their recruit receives his or her GED. We are hopeful that this will improve both GED recruitment and graduation rates.