Free GED test: which states pay, and on what conditions
5 jurisdictions pay the first GED attempt for everyone who meets their rules; 20 publish some kind of help on the GED or the HiSET.
GED cost in Pennsylvania
$0
Pennsylvania covers the first attempt of up to four subjects for residents, at a public center or online, with the code PAFreeGED.
| Price per subject | $36 |
| First attempts (4 subjects) | $0 |
| Rank, cheapest first | 4 of 49 |
Fees from the Pennsylvania page of ged.com, read on October 22, 2026.
Prepared by Radif Partners · Method · fees and rules read on ged.com and hiset.org on October 22, 2026
The GED is free on a first attempt in Alaska, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, for everyone who meets those states’ age and residency rules: Alaska pays while funding lasts, Mississippi pays every attempt at its own test centers, New York pays for every subject, Pennsylvania covers residents with the code PAFreeGED, and West Virginia charges nothing but books the test through adult learning programs. Close to free are Connecticut, with a $13 registration fee and no subject fee, and Washington, D.C., where the code DCSAVE36 brings a center attempt to $3.75. Illinois, Maryland and Minnesota lower the first attempt with public codes. New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Texas pay for people who qualify, usually through an adult education program: Texas for residents aged 21 and older through Texas Workforce Commission programs, Ohio with an $80 voucher, New Mexico after a passing GED Ready score. On the HiSET, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi and Pennsylvania pay the first attempt. Every offer below was read on the state pages of ged.com and hiset.org; programs that depend on funding can stop without notice.
Every published offer
The table lists each offer as the state page describes it, for the GED and for the HiSET. “Everyone” means anyone who meets the state’s age and residency rules; “promo code” means a public code to enter at checkout; “only if you qualify” means a program with its own conditions, usually enrolment in adult education.
| State | Test | Who can use it | What the state page says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | GED | Public promo code | Alaska pays the first attempt of each subject while funding lasts. |
| California | HiSET | Only if you qualify | A fee waiver exists for those who qualify; the $20 state fee is paid once, at the first booking. |
| Connecticut | GED | Paid by the state | Connecticut charges $0 per subject; only a $13 registration fee is due. |
| District of Columbia | GED | Public promo code | With the code DCSAVE36, the first attempt of each subject at a test center costs $3.75; online it is full price. |
| Georgia | HiSET | Only if you qualify | Vouchers are available through the Georgia state program. |
| Illinois | GED | Public promo code | The Illinois Community College Board takes $26 off the first attempt of each subject with the code ILSAVE2026, while funding lasts. |
| Indiana | HiSET | Only if you qualify | Indiana provides test code vouchers; paper and computer fees are set by each test center. |
| Maine | HiSET | Everyone who meets the state rules | There is no fee for Maine residents. |
| Maryland | GED | Everyone who meets the state rules | Maryland lowers the first attempt of each subject to $14.25 with the code MDGED2175, at a center or online; retakes are not subsidized. |
| Massachusetts | HiSET | Everyone who meets the state rules | Massachusetts pays the first test in each subject plus two retakes per subject. |
| Minnesota | GED | Public promo code | Minnesota takes $10 off the first attempt of each subject with the code MNGED10, while funding lasts. |
| Minnesota | HiSET | Public promo code | With the code MNHISET8, Minnesota residents get $8 off each subtest the first time, up to $40. |
| Mississippi | GED | Everyone who meets the state rules | Mississippi pays every attempt at a Mississippi test center, retakes included (codes MSFREEGED and MSRETAKE); it does not pay for online testing. |
| Mississippi | HiSET | Everyone who meets the state rules | Since July 1, 2026, Mississippi pays the HiSET tests and two retests per subtest. |
| New Mexico | GED | Only if you qualify | New Mexico residents can have their fees covered by the Free High School Equivalency program after scoring 145 or more on GED Ready within 60 days of scheduling. |
| New Mexico | HiSET | Only if you qualify | Vouchers are available through the state office or adult education providers. |
| New York | GED | Paid by the state | New York State pays for every GED subject; there is nothing to pay. |
| Ohio | GED | Only if you qualify | First-time testers can get a voucher worth up to $80 through a Career-Technical Planning District. |
| Ohio | HiSET | Only if you qualify | Vouchers worth $80 are available for paper or computer testing. |
| Pennsylvania | GED | Everyone who meets the state rules | Pennsylvania covers the first attempt of up to four subjects for residents, at a public center or online, with the code PAFreeGED. |
| Pennsylvania | HiSET | Everyone who meets the state rules | Pennsylvania covers up to five subtests for residents with the code PAFreeHiSET. |
| Rhode Island | GED | Only if you qualify | People with limited income can get a fee waiver if they prove financial hardship and score Likely to Pass on GED Ready. |
| Tennessee | GED | Only if you qualify | The test can be paid by vouchers for people who attend a local adult education program. |
| Tennessee | HiSET | Only if you qualify | The HiSET Voucher Program, through local adult education, covers all costs of the exams. |
| Texas | GED | Only if you qualify | The HSE Subsidy Program pays the test fees of eligible people aged 21 and older through a Texas Workforce Commission Adult Education and Literacy program, while funding lasts. |
| West Virginia | GED | Paid by the state | There is no cost to the test taker, but the test is scheduled through a local adult learning or Option Pathway program. |
Your cost with the state program
GED cost in Texas
$0
| Price per subject | $36.25 |
| First attempts (4 subjects) | $0 |
| Rank, cheapest first | 34 of 49 |
Fully free
New York is the clearest case: the state pays for every GED subject, retakes included, but sets the age at 19 and makes you wait 60 days before a retake. West Virginia also charges nothing, but you schedule through a local adult learning or Option Pathway program, after a GED Ready practice test there. Mississippi pays every attempt at a Mississippi test center with two codes, one for the first attempt and one for retakes; online testing there is not covered. Pennsylvania covers the first attempt of all four subjects for residents, at a public center or online, including the proctoring fee.
Cheap with a code
Washington, D.C. charges $3.75 for the first attempt of each subject at a center with its code; Maryland $14.25 with the code MDGED2175, at a center or online; Illinois $10 with ILSAVE2026; Minnesota $26 with MNGED10. These codes are printed on the state pages, so there is nothing to apply for: you type the code when you pay. The Illinois and Minnesota offers run while funding lasts.
Free if you qualify
Texas pays the fees of residents aged 21 and older who go through a Texas Workforce Commission Adult Education and Literacy program. Ohio gives first-time testers a voucher worth up to $80 through a Career-Technical Planning District, which leaves $64 to pay on the four subjects at a center. New Mexico covers residents who score 145 or more on GED Ready within 60 days of scheduling. Tennessee pays through vouchers for people attending a local adult education program, on both tests. Rhode Island waives fees for people with limited income who score Likely to Pass on GED Ready. The classes page explains how to reach these programs.
HiSET states
Maine charges its residents nothing for the HiSET. Massachusetts pays the first test in each subject and two retakes. Mississippi has paid the HiSET and two retests per subtest since July 1, 2026. Pennsylvania covers up to five subtests for residents with PAFreeHiSET. Minnesota residents get $8 off each subtest the first time. The HiSET page has the full table of HiSET prices.
Free classes are not the same as a free test
Many people searching for a free GED are looking for the classes, not the exam. Adult education programs teach the four subjects at no charge in most states, and several of the voucher programs above run through them, so enrolling in a class is often the way to a paid test as well. The reverse is not true: a free class does not pay the test unless the state program says so. Ask the program which test fees it covers before you book, and keep the voucher code it gives you for the payment page.
Before you count on an offer
Read the terms on the state page linked under the calculator: some offers apply only at public test centers, some only to a first attempt, some only while funds last, and nearly all only to residents. If you are not sure you qualify for a program, the calculator shows both totals: leave “I qualify” on No for the price you would pay without help.