Tuition stays same for 2022-23 academic year
Article By: Clark Leonard
The University of North Georgia's (UNG) undergraduate and graduate tuition in 2022-23 will remain the same for the third straight year.
For the fifth time in seven years, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) voted to keep tuition costs flat across most institutions in the university system. The board also voted to eliminate the system's Special Institutional Fee, which will save UNG students $225 each semester.
The latest news builds upon UNG's already strong reputation for value and affordability. A recent study from Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce showed a return on investment of $962,000 over a 40-year period for a bachelor's degree from UNG, which is fifth among public universities in Georgia. Plus, data compiled by Third Way, a national think tank, showed UNG with a 26.4% economic mobility index, which ranks fourth among public universities in Georgia.
The university system's longstanding commitment to affordability helps empower students, keeping them on track to learn the skills they need to get good jobs in a highly skilled workforce.
Sonny Perdue
University System of Georgia chancellor
Additionally, U.S. News & World Report in the fall tabbed UNG as the top public university in Georgia on the Best Value Schools list of regional universities in the South.
The USG has the third-lowest median in-state tuition and fees for undergraduates at four-year institutions among the 16 states that make up the Southern Regional Education Board, according to the latest data available. The system also averages the 13th-lowest annual tuition and fees in the nation.
"The university system's longstanding commitment to affordability helps empower students, keeping them on track to learn the skills they need to get good jobs in a highly skilled workforce," USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. "That workforce is critical to the economic development that has allowed Georgia to thrive, and we are grateful to Governor Kemp and the General Assembly for passing a state budget this year that provides record support for public higher education and USG institutions statewide."
The board initially established the Special Institutional Fee in 2009 to provide financial support for high-quality academic programs and operations during the reductions in state funding caused by the Great Recession. The fee has continued since that time, but beginning in fiscal year 2023, the state will increase USG's budget by almost $230 million, allowing for the fee’s elimination.
"We're grateful to Governor Kemp and our state's leaders for their support of our students, their families and the system," Board Chairman Harold Reynolds said. "Affordability is one of the board's highest priorities as our institutions work to increase degree attainment and maintain Georgia's ranking as one of the best public university systems in the nation."
Fall graduates look to future with optimism
UNG awarded roughly 985 degrees and certificates to students this fall, and it honored more than 650 of those graduates in a pair of Dec. 7 commencement ceremonies.
Luncheon honors scholarship recipients
Five nontraditional female students at UNG each earned a $2,000 scholarship from the Women of UNG on Dec. 5 at the Women's Holiday Scholarship Luncheon.
Special ed lab aids future educators
During the fall semester, future educators from UNG took part in a special education lab in which they worked with a software tool that helped them assess students, craft education plans and receive immediate feedback.
Grads prepare for their next steps
UNG will award almost 1,000 degrees and certificates this fall, and more than 600 graduates are scheduled to take part in the Dec. 7 commencement ceremonies.