Technical Colleges' State Board Approves
$385.7 Million FY09 Budget Request

Rome , GA - The state board that oversees the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) today approved a $385.7 million budget that includes a $5 per credit hour increase in student tuition. The board’s approval came during its monthly meeting, which was held at Coosa Valley Technical College in Rome.

Georgia ’s technical college tuition has been and will continue to be one of the lowest among the southern states. The new increase, the first in two years, will raise the annual cost from $1,488 to $1,728 for a full-time student.

Carl Swearingen, the chairman of the TCSG state board, noted that the majority of students should see little extra out-of-pocket expense and that there’s reward in the long-term. “A full-time Georgia technical college student will pay 16% more beginning in 2008, yet most students will find that the extra tuition will be covered by their HOPE and Pell grants,” said Swearingen. “We’re keeping our tuition affordable and our education valuable, especially given that our technical college graduates are in high demand and many enter the workforce making $40,000 a year or more,” said Swearingen.

The 33 colleges that make up the TCSG enrolled 147,852 students in 2006. More than 80% of those students received financial aid, mostly in the form of state HOPE and federal Pell grants.

A quality education from a Georgia technical college remains a relative bargain. According to data from the Southern Regional Education Board, Georgia’s technical college tuition was the second-lowest among its 16 member states in 2006. The additional $5 per credit hour should do little to change that ranking.

TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson said that the board’s decision to raise tuition was necessary given the rising education costs associated with maintaining the technical edge that’s critical to keeping Georgia competitive in the global marketplace.

“It’s increasingly more expensive to educate and train in strategic industries like healthcare, aerospace and life sciences,” said Jackson. “It’s essential that we keep pace because a highly-educated and technically-skilled workforce is the heart and soul of Georgia’s economic future.”

Sandersville Technical College President Lloyd Horadan said “This increase will allow STC to invest in new equipment for existing programs and to develop new programs which will better serve our communities. These changes will permit us to continue our success in enrollment growth and the graduation of superbly trained individuals for the growing regional workforce.”

September 7, 2007.