If you never completed high school and would like to obtain an equivalency diploma you have that opportunity.
Free High School Equivalency (Hi-Set) Classes are held on Monday and Thursday evenings and Friday mornings at the County Complex at 722 South Congress Boulevard. Enter through the UT Extension/Motlow College Doors. Mary Anne Carpenter is the class instructor.. On-line classes are also available.
Prior to April 1, 2016, adult learners in Tennessee had the option to choose between the HiSet test and the GED Testing Service product. However as of April 1, new test takers are no longer able to sign up for the GED test. HiSet is now the sole provider of high school equivalency testing in Tennessee.
Effective July 1, 2016, HiSet became the only test available to students in Tennessee who wish to obtain their high school equivalency diploma.
The change to HiSet testing is meant to ensure the new curriculum is aligned with the test students take to earn the high school equivalency diploma.
The HiSet test provides other benefits to adult learners in Tennessee. The cost of the HiSet test is $75, compared to the $120 fee to take the GED test. HiSet is also more convenient for students, and it offers the option of on-line testing, as well as a standard paper test.
According to Carol Pritchard, Counselor and Recruiter for the Adult Education Program , between 1,700 and 2,000 people in DeKalb County currently lack a high school diploma.
“We offer high school equivalency (Hi-Set) classes free to anybody 18 years of age and older who may lack a high school diploma. In this day and age a high school diploma is needed for anyone to go on to further training, college, university, or any kind of vocational certification. This is a pathway that many can use to finish what they once started. It (diploma) can be used to get promotions or apply for jobs. It opens a lot of doors that have never been an opportunity before for those folks who lack a diploma,” said Pritchard.
“We serve people from 18 to 70 years old. Some people come back just for the fulfillment of it. Something they didn’t have a chance to do before but it’s been a lifelong dream. Some people do it as an example for their kids. They know how important education is. They’ve lived it and they want to make sure their kids know how important it is that they finish. They want a better way to make a living. They want a family sustaining wage. That’s really our goal is to help them to get to that point,” she said.
“Anyone interested is asked to participate in the orientation process which gets them registered. It also gets them a placement test and lets us know how to begin to help them. We want to fill in the gaps so we don’t try to spend a lot of time teaching what people already know. We look for what people need and focus our instruction that way. We monitor their progress and when they are ready, we will get them out as quickly as we can so they can test as soon as possible,” said Pritchard.
“We send them to a testing site once they’re ready and we help them get registered. They take the exam and then the company that makes the exam sends in the results. The state will then issue the high school equivalency diploma,” she said.
“The two closest testing sites are the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in McMinnville and the Applied Technology Center in Crossville but there are locations all across the state. Most of the people from DeKalb County go to McMinnville,” said Pritchard.
“There is a cost to take the test but there is no cost for any of our services or instruction. For the Hi-Set test right now the cost is $75.00 which includes a sitting fee for the testing site. But the state of Tennessee has appropriated money and if you qualify under certain predictor tests criteria then the state will pay for your test at no cost to you,” said Pritchard.
For more information call 1-855-516-0160
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