BOSTON (WWLP) – The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced Thursday that the state will now cover the cost of GED and HiSET tests for Massachusetts residents.

The free testing for HiSET begins this week but free GED testing has been available since September 2022. The covered cost includes tests in each subject as well as two retakes. In order to have the fees covered, residents must enter a promo code instead of a payment when they register:

• Use MAHISET when scheduling your HiSET test.
• Use MAFREEGED when scheduling your GED test.
• Use MAFREEGED then OPMAFREEGED when scheduling a GED Online Proctored test (GED OP). Practice test for the GED OP will need to be paid for by the test taker.
• Use MARETAKE when scheduling a retest of the GED test.
• Use OPMARETAKE when scheduling a retest of the GED Online Proctored test.

Tests could costs as much as $143 per test previously. By allowing fees to be covered, fees will no longer be a barrier to residents that were unable to obtain their high school credentials.

“By removing testing fees, we are making an investment in Massachusetts residents and their futures,” said Governor Maura Healey. “No one should be held back from earning their equivalency credential due to costs. This investment will encourage more Massachusetts adult learners to continue their education, earn their credential, and begin higher education or enter the workforce.”

“A high school equivalency credential can be the ticket to economic mobility,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. “By eliminating the fee burden for students earning their high school credentials, we are making sure cost is no longer a barrier to a brighter future. I hope more Massachusetts students are encouraged to apply for and earn their credential through this opportunity.”

“I hope many people who did not earn a high school diploma will see this as a valuable opportunity to return to their education,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley. “This could be the opportunity some Massachusetts adult learners have been waiting for to get a higher degree or a better job.”

The department estimates it will cost the state approximately $800,000 in the first year of covered test and expect to sufficiently cover the costs of testing permanently.