Economy Affects Out-of-state Students at UGA

Betsy Dienes
JOUR3510
9/21/09



The economy is not only affecting the everyday lives of students but also the kind of undergraduates that are able to attend the University of Georgia. The ongoing downward spiral of the economy is making it more difficult for out-of-state students to attend UGA due to the high tuition rate.

Nancy McDuff, the associate vice president for admissions and enrollment management at UGA believes that the economy is affecting enrollment at the university.

“We did notice an increase in the number of out- of -state students who did not accept our offer of admission the past two years, and we feel that it is probably a reflection of the current economic situation and that out-of-state students often have many options for enrollment,” McDuff said. “Because their cost to attend is much higher than an in-state student, they will usually weigh costs very heavily in their final decision.”

More students are attending their state schools to receive in-state tuition simply because their parents can not afford to pay out-of-state tuition. Currently, the UGA student body is made up of 84 percent in-state students and 16 percent out-of-state. In 2009, the admissions board saw a two percent decrease in the number of out-of-state freshmen.

The decreasing number of out-of-state students could impact diversity at UGA, but there is not enough evidence to tell just yet said Patrick Winter, senior associate director of admissions at UGA.

“Students make economic and academic decisions in their selection of colleges,” Winter said. “We are working to recruit the best students to UGA from both in state and out of state. If the economy improves, we can probably expect to see a rebound in the number of out-of-state students coming to UGA. It's just too early to tell right now.”

UGA is not only seeing a decline in out-of-state students but also an increase in transfer students. According to the August 17th, 2009 addition of Columns, a faculty/staff newspaper, UGA received 1,600 transfer students this year, 92 percent of whom are in state. Out of the incoming freshman class, a little below 13 percent are from out of state.

“Being from Texas I definitely notice the difference in the number of out-of-state students and in-state students,” said Kathleen Curley, a senior at UGA from Dallas majoring in business. “I feel like everyone at this school is from Atlanta.”

Scholarships such as HOPE, Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally, entice students to stay in state. To qualify for the HOPE scholarship, one must be a current Georgia resident who graduated from a high school in Georgia with a 3.0 GPA or above. Students who meet these criteria receive tuition paid in full for all four years, plus $150 for books per semester.

For fall of 2009, the incoming out-of-state freshman’s tuition and fees added up to $12,870 while in-state added up to $3,765. All together, UGA estimates that the cost of education for the 2009-2010 academic year will be $18,000 for in-state students and $36,210 for out-of-state. This drastic difference is a huge incentive to stay in state especially due to the present economic situation.

Dustin Barrett, a senior at UGA from Athens, Ga., majoring in finance, knew that he didn’t have much of a choice when it came down to choosing a college.

“I wanted to look at other schools but I knew that tuition would play a huge factor,” Barrett said. “I mean I’ve always loved UGA and it’s a great school so you can’t really pass up an opportunity to go here for free.”