The economic benefits of the General Educational Development certificate (GED) were examined through a review of four published papers and four unpublished working papers on the GED's benefits. Key findings were as follows: (1) a GED provides economic benefits only to low-skilled dropouts; (2) economic benefits of a GED appear over time--often over 4 or 5 years-- rather than immediately; (3) although the returns on postsecondary education and training are as large for GED holders as for traditional high school graduates, GED holders do not typically pursue postsecondary education or on-the-job training, thus missing out on economic benefits; and (4) a GED earned in prison appears to provide no economic payoff. The following were among the study's implications for policy, practice, and research: (1) GED preparation programs are a worthwhile investment; (2) better data on GED holders' postsecondary education and on the jobs held by dropouts with and without a GED is needed; (3) research on why GED holders' participation in postsecondary education differs from their intentions can inform policy responses; and (4) given that many males obtain a GED in prison, greater understanding of the "prison GED" is needed. (MN)