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Georgia Tech Joins Network Bolstering Reach to Rural Students

admin — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 16:34:41 +0000

Georgia Tech Joins Network Bolstering Reach to Rural Students admin Wed, 07/24/2024 - 12:34

Georgia Tech has joined 31 other top universities from around the country in the Small Town and Rural Students (STARS) College Network. Tech’s Office of Undergraduate Admission will leverage this partnership to further promote access to the Institute for students from small towns and rural areas.

“Our commitment to inclusive innovation involves engagement with students, families, and school officials across the state. We have identified 115 of the 159 counties in Georgia as rural, and we want to ensure that students from these areas are represented on our campus,” said Mary Tipton Woolley, interim executive director of Undergraduate Admission. “By partnering with STARS, we can build on our existing initiatives to work with rural communities, support the work of school officials and student advocates, and provide multiple avenues to experience and explore what Tech has to offer.”

The investment in Tech from Trott Family Philanthropies, part of a $50 million donation to support outreach and engagement by STARS member schools, will amplify Tech’s ongoing efforts to expand access to communities through initiatives such as the Peach State Tour, an annual recruitment event that brings Tech, Augusta University, Georgia State University, and the University of Georgia within 50 miles of every Georgian. The 2024 Peach State Tour kicks off in late August.

Last year, Undergraduate Admission increased travel around Georgia by 270%, compared to 2019, with counselors visiting 98 counties and 282 schools. The 2023-24 admission cycle saw a 13% rise in applications from Georgia students, with admitted students from 130 counties across the state. This admission cycle included the first two admits from rural Twiggs County since 2000. Twiggs County Superintendent Mack Bullard cites the school’s engagement with Georgia Tech as instrumental in those two students' acceptance to Tech.

Superintendent Mack Bullard (right) stands with one of the Twiggs County students admitted to Georgia Tech.

“If you never get exposed to it, you never get to create the dream,” he said. “That bridge between a rural community and a university is invaluable.”

Quincy Howard, a fourth-year industrial engineering major from Dublin, Georgia, noted that having the increased in-person exposure to Tech during his time in high school would have been useful. Instead, during his college search, he learned about Georgia Tech while researching engineering schools online.

“It probably would have enlightened my whole college application process,” said Howard. “Having a Tech admission counselor as a resource to guide me through my options at Tech definitely would have been helpful. I ended up on this path and went with it, but who knows, maybe other avenues would have opened up for me. That resource aspect is what I see being best about it.”

Georgia Tech will use the funding provided through STARS to dedicate additional staff to new rural outreach initiatives, support on-campus and virtual programming for rural communities, and further increase travel and marketing efforts.

This multipronged approach will, among other objectives:

Introduce the role of program manager for STARS initiatives within the Office of Undergraduate Admission, which will lead rural outreach for the office.
Support additional travel opportunities for rural students and school staff members to visit campus and experience Tech through a day of programming.
Allow the Office of Undergraduate Admission to explore new partnerships with other campus efforts working in rural spaces, as well as new programming to support students in rural areas.

The STARS Network was established in 2023, with 16 founding members. In the past year, the STARS Network, created with an initial $20 million gift from Byron and Tina Trott, has connected with over a quarter-million students.

“This partnership with Trott Family Philanthropies is another step in our continued efforts to connect with communities across the state, including ones where we haven’t been present previously,” said Paul Kohn, vice provost of Enrollment Management at Tech. “Working to ensure the entire state of Georgia can experience what Tech has to offer is a core part of our strategic plan, and this is another step in achieving that goal and ultimately expanding access to an education at Tech.”

Learn more about the STARS College Network here. Read more Tech Undergraduate Admission news here.

Summary sentence

The Trott Family Philanthropies is doubling its investment in rural student outreach by adding Georgia Tech and 15 other universities to the Small Town and Rural Students (STARS) College Network.

Summary

STARS provides comprehensive programming and support for rural high school students across the nation to pursue opportunities in higher education.

Dateline

Wed, 07/24/2024 - 12:00

Contact

Amanda Budd

Enrollment Management

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Georgia Tech Announces Val-Sal Scholarship for Eligible Georgia Students

admin — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 16:11:31 +0000

Georgia Tech Announces Val-Sal Scholarship for Eligible Georgia Students admin Thu, 08/31/2023 - 12:11

Georgia Tech is expanding its commitment to academic excellence and access for Georgia students by introducing the Georgia Tech Val-Sal Scholarship, which will provide financial support for valedictorians and salutatorians from high schools across the state who would otherwise struggle to afford a college education.

This scholarship furthers the Georgia Tech Scholars Program, an initiative that guarantees admission to graduating valedictorians and salutatorians from accredited Georgia high schools with 50 or more students who meet the requirements for the program. Through this expansion, Tech continues to strengthen its commitment to the state of Georgia and accessibility to a Tech education.

“We are proud to welcome extraordinary students from all over Georgia every year, but the reality is that financial need is a significant barrier for many students and their families,” said Ángel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech. “We want to do everything we can to continue to remove those barriers. The Georgia Tech Val-Sal Scholarship is another exciting step in our ongoing commitment to expand access and to support even more of the most talented students from all over our state.”

The annual $2,500 scholarship will be available to graduating high school valedictorians and salutatorians whose annual estimated family income is $75,000 or less and have demonstrated financial need. For those who also qualify for the Federal Pell Grant, an additional $2,500 can be awarded, bringing the total potential scholarship amount to $5,000 per year.

"By design, this award will help students who might not otherwise be able to afford a Tech education while also recognizing their academic achievements,” said Paul Kohn, vice provost for Enrollment Management. “Looking forward, we hope to see more, if not all, highly ranked students apply to, and enroll at Tech, from every corner of the great state of Georgia."

Over the past five years, Tech enrolled 843 graduating valedictorians and salutatorians from the state of Georgia. These students represent 320 different high schools across 108 counties. The Val-Sal Scholarship will further opportunity for top students from across the state to attend Tech.

“Keeping top talent in state is critical and affordability should not be a barrier to that goal,” said Rick Clark, associate vice provost and executive director of Undergraduate Admission. “Companies, government, and other organizations look to Georgia Tech to provide graduates from a wide variety of backgrounds — geographically, academically, and beyond. At this point, Georgia loses too many of our state’s best students because of generous financial offers from colleges and universities outside of our state. Ultimately, this scholarship is an investment in our state’s economic future.”

The scholarship adds another route for Georgia residents to receive financial support beyond the existing G. Wayne Clough Georgia Tech Promise Program, which provides complete coverage of the cost of attendance for qualifying Georgia students who come from households with incomes of $55,500 or less.

“Important initiatives like these would not be possible without the generous support and commitment of alumni, donors, corporate partners, and other friends of the Institute,” said Clark. “Supporting students who could not afford college otherwise is an investment not only in the future of talented young people but also in the future of Georgia Tech.”

To learn more about ways to support current and future Tech students, visit the Transforming Tomorrow campaign website.

Editor's Update: Georgia Tech was able to award the Val-Sal scholarship to 25 incoming freshmen for the 2023-2024 school year.

Summary sentence

Georgia high school valedictorians and salutatorians with demonstrated financial need may qualify for up to $5,000 annually through the scholarship.

Summary

Georgia Tech announces the Val-Sal Scholarship for Georgia students.

Dateline

Fri, 09/01/2023 - 12:00

abudd7@gatech.edu

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Georgia Tech Welcomes New First-Year and Transfer Students

admin — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 19:11:31 +0000

Georgia Tech Welcomes New First-Year and Transfer Students admin Wed, 08/23/2023 - 15:11

This summer and fall, approximately 4,900 new students joined the Georgia Tech community. Comprised of over 1,100 transfer students and nearly 3,800 first-year students, this group brings Tech’s total number of undergraduates to a new record high of over 19,000.

“Expanding access is one of the primary focus areas of Georgia Tech’s strategic plan because the education, network, and experiences we provide are invaluable,” said Rick Clark, assistant vice provost and executive director of Undergraduate Admission. “During President Cabrera’s tenure, we have consistently sought to grow our first-year class, our undergraduate population, as well as the range of backgrounds and interests represented among our student body. As a result, our first-year group of nearly 3,800 is 23% bigger than it was five years ago.”

These students hail from 113 counties across Georgia, with 13% coming from rural areas of the state. Fifteen percent of the class are first-generation college students, with neither parent having graduated from college.

“Our primary obligation is to serve the state of Georgia through community partnerships, outreach programs, and research.” said Clark. “In Undergraduate Admission and Enrollment Management, we prioritize Georgians, which is why our admit rate for students from Georgia is more than three times greater than it is for nonresidents. This year, nearly 12,000 Georgia undergraduates will study at Tech — over 2,000 more than when President Cabrera arrived on campus in 2019.”

This year also broke records for transfer students, who make up over a quarter of new undergraduates. Seventy percent of transfer students came in through a transfer pathway program, a unique offering to assist those students interested in transferring. Transfer students come from 250 colleges across 38 states, representing 38 community colleges and 35 colleges in the state of Georgia.

“I’m incredibly proud of the fact that Tech, unlike most elite schools in the nation, has committed to ensuring that students can transfer here through a variety of pathway programs,” said Clark.

The first-year class of 2027 and new transfer students join an already vibrant student body centered on Tech’s commitment to community, service, innovation, and “improving the human condition.” Undergraduate Admission now turns its focus to recruiting the class of 2028.

“I believe, for a variety of reasons, the year ahead will be one of the most important in Tech’s history,” said Clark. “Ultimately, we will need our entire campus community, including students, staff, faculty, alumni, and donors, to help us meet our goals and fulfill our ambitious and important mission.”

Some 145 of the students new to Tech can be seen on the Georgia Tech Office of Undergraduate Admission (@gtadmission) Instagram, where they shared their hometown and major ahead of arriving on campus.

Final, official numbers for the incoming class can be found here.

Summary sentence

The undergraduate population at Tech now exceeds 19,000 for the first time.

Summary

Dateline

Wed, 08/23/2023 - 12:00

abudd7@gatech.edu

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Official 2023 Incoming Class Profile Statistics

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Source updated

Wed, 08/23/2023 - 15:11

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Georgia Tech Joins Network Bolstering Reach to Rural Students

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Georgia Tech Announces Val-Sal Scholarship for Eligible Georgia Students

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Georgia Tech Welcomes New First-Year and Transfer Students

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