Because a staggering number of adults in Georgia can’t afford the $160 fee to take the five-part GED Test, AT&T has lent a hand.

For the second time in a year, the telecommunications giant has made a donation of $50,000 that the Technical College System of Georgia will use to create GED testing scholarships for less-fortunate Georgians. The money will also help some GED students take the next step and complete a technical college education.

Pete McDonald, vice president of economic development at Georgia Northwestern Technical College, said the school is immensely grateful to AT&T for the grant.

“It’s a very positive thing for the students,” he said. “We have a number of students (for whom) the

financial part is a challenge for them to come up with the money to pay for the test.”

He said that there are 568 students enrolled in GED prep classes on the Floyd County campus. Depending on their academic status when they enroll, some students earn their GED within a year to three years.

Sylvia Russell, the president of AT&T Georgia, presented the check to TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson during the monthly meeting of the TCSG State Board on Dec. 6. Russell is also a member of the board that sets the policies and procedures for Georgia’s 25 technical colleges.

“The adult education program of the Technical College System of Georgia is a critical part of the education system in Georgia, ensuring qualified low-income adults have access to the classes and testing they need to continue their education and skills training,” said Russell. “We are very pleased to support the TCSG’s efforts to improve the lives of Georgians and to strengthen our workforce, which is vital to the economic environment in our state.”

“A more literate and better-educated Georgia means improved lives, stronger communities and more reasons for business and industry to expand in our state,” Jackson said. “With this donation, like the one before it, AT&T shows that it cares about less-fortunate Georgians who only need a little help to discover their full potential. We thank Sylvia Russell and the entire AT&T corporate family for their great generosity and desire to provide scholarships for our deserving adult learners.”

Jackson thanked AT&T, which is the largest corporate donor to the TCSG’s adult education program.