During his annual speech on the state of the University of Georgia, President Michael Adams stressed the college's role in the state and called on lawmakers and alumni to help the institution succeed.
"Georgia’s success depends on UGA's success," Adams said Thursday. "There is no way around it. We educate Georgia at UGA."
About 89 percent of freshmen are from Georgia, he said.
He thanked Gov. Nathan Deal for recommending public colleges receive full funding next year to cover increased enrollment. Failure to get that money this year cost UGA about $15 million, he said.
But he said lawmakers must help the college provide more competitive salaries, adding UGA has lost ground to peer colleges.
"And when UGA loses ground, Georgia loses ground, and none of us can afford that," he said.
Adams also called on alumni to increase donations, noting student financial aid requests increased by 34 percent over the past five years.
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