slideshow

For students aiming to earn their degrees from one of Rome’s private institutions — Berry College or Shorter University — there’s now a more financially friendly way to achieve that goal.

Students earning an associate degree at the state’s technical colleges can transfer into 19 Georgia private colleges under an agreement signed Wednesday.

Craig McDaniel, president of Georgia Northwestern Technical College, said it’s a great way for students to take core courses for the first year or two without draining their bank accounts. GNTC offers the classes at $85 per credit hour, compared to $300 and up at private colleges.

“It basically provides more opportunities for students in that they can start here, get those ‘gen ed’ courses out of the way and then transfer to a university or private school,” McDaniel said. “It’s an ideal situation for someone who wants to live at home and be economical for that first year of college. They’ll save a substantial amount of money.”

Officials from the Georgia Independent College Association and the Technical College System of Georgia formalized the deal in a ceremony at the state capitol with Gov. Nathan Deal.

Other private schools participating are Mercer University, Paine College and LaGrange College.

The University System of Georgia — the state’s public colleges and universities, including Georgia Highlands College — has signed a similar agreement. Few states have such arrangements between tech schools and private colleges.

“There are 27 general education courses that will transfer to private universities,” McDaniel said.

The move is part of Deal’s initiative to boost the number of Georgians completing a college degree. Two-thirds of the jobs in the future are expected to require degrees.

Students also benefit by having more places to finish a four-year degree, according to Joe Dan Banker, the Technical College System’s director of academic affairs.