The General Educational Development (GED) Incentive Program began as a partnership between the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) and the S.C. Department of Education’s (SCDE) Office of Adult Education, through which Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants could earn their GED for free through their local Adult Education Center and receive a one-time $500 incentive payment from the General Assembly upon passing the GED exam.