State officials launched a program Tuesday designed to help young adults with some college credits complete their degrees.
The program is part of a push to achieve a statewide goal of having 250,000 college graduates by the year 2050. To reach that goal, as many as 90,000 Georgians would need to return to college and complete their degrees, said Hank Huckaby, the chancellor of the University System of Georgia.
The national nonprofit organization Complete College America has projected that by 2020 more than 60 percent of jobs in Georgia will require a college certificate or degree, but only 42 percent of young adults in the state currently have these college credentials. About 1.1 million Georgians, ages 25 to 64, have some college credit but have not completed a degree.
“In order for Georgia to remain economically competitive, we must have an educated workforce, and focusing on college completion is one way we intend to do that,” Gov. Nathan Deal said.
The “Go Back. Move Ahead.” program’s goal is to provide these students with a simpler enrollment process, flexible ways to transfer earned college credits and a personal academic adviser. The program establishes a call center for interested students looking to re-enroll at a state institution, provides assistance in selecting the right school and offers individualized help once they get there.
The program builds on a three-year, $1 million grant, announced in June, that Georgia will receive for a program to help the state's colleges and universities provide better monitoring of and advising for its students.
About the Author
