South Georgia Technical College was recognized as the 12th most affordable college and university in the United States in a poll released by EDsmart recently. Only colleges with an average net price of less than $3,500 were considered in this ranking.
“This is a tremendous honor,” said South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford. “When looking at which college or university to attend, most individuals consider cost. South Georgia Technical College is affordable but we also provide an outstanding education.”
South Georgia Technical College was ranked as the Best Community College in Georgia and was ranked 25th as the Best College for Culinary Arts in America by Nich.com in 2018. Those rankings along with affordability led to the college’s top ranking. South Georgia Technical College also received an “A” grade for both value and safety in those rankings.
The average net price to attend South Georgia Technical College is $1,602 and its overall score by EDsmart was 89.2. EDsmart assesses college and universities based on data that covers four main areas: cost (average net price); academic quality (graduation rate); student satisfaction (retention rate); and salary after attending (the median earnings of former students who received federal financial aid, at 10 years after entering the school). All data was gathered from the U.S. Department of Education websites: College Scorecard and College Navigator.
“This ranking and others is designed to help students assess the affordability and value of top colleges in the U.S. so they can make informed decisions about which college to attend,” explained South Georgia Tech President Dr. John Watford. “South Georgia Technical College also provides textbooks at no cost to students which is another tremendous savings for our students.”
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, at the end of 2018, outstanding student loan debt reached $1.46 trillion, rising $15 billion from the previous data. Another alarming statistic is that 11.4% of student debt was ninety days or more delinquent or in default. That doesn’t even account for half of the loans that are in deferment, grace periods, or forbearance, which tend to end up delinquent, too.
“Graduating without student debt is a worthy goal. Most of our students graduate without debt and that is something that we are extremely proud of,” said Dr. Watford. “With the HOPE grant, HOPE Career Grant, HOPE Scholarship, Federal Financial Aid (PELL), and scholarships, our students are able to get a top quality education without a loan.”
South Georgia Technical College was the only Georgia College listed in the top 26 spots.
South Georgia Technical College is currently registering students for Spring Semester. Classes start January 9th. A special registration and orientation has been planned for Tuesday, January 7th in both Americus and Cordele. Students can apply and register for Spring Semester now. An orientation session will be held on January 7th at 9:30, 1:30, and 5 p.m. in Americus and at 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. in Cordele.
# Photo: South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford (standing right) is shown talking with South Georgia Technical College employees and students during the recent Spring Semester registration. SGTC will hold another Spring Semester registration on January 7th.