Why do more than 67,000 of Georgia’s online adult learners choose to pay more to attend an out-of-state college? Beginning this summer, the answer is that they will no longer need to.

Today, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved Valdosta State University’s new Online College for Career Advancement. This new college builds upon lessons learned from well-known national online providers to create a best-in-class option in Georgia, only at a lower cost.

“For too long Georgians looking for high-touch personal attention, ease of transfer credit acceptance, and an easy-to-navigate highly flexible degree have been forced to pay the higher costs charged by institutions like the University of Phoenix or Southern New Hampshire University,” said Dr. Richard A. Carvajal, president of VSU. “The launch of VSU’s new Online College for Career Advancement will forever change that.”

The new college offers students a re-imagined admission process designed specifically for returning students, eight of the most sought after bachelor’s programs among those seeking career advancement, and an innovative model for providing concierge-level support at every stage of a student’s degree path.

Tuition for the new college will be among the most affordable in the nation. At $299 per credit hour, it is more affordable than all leading national competitors. The new all-inclusive rate also includes all course materials, and students will not be charged any additional fees.

Dr. Rodney Carr, vice president for Student Success VSU and the new college’s director, is proud of what makes this new college different beyond its price.

“During the pandemic, VSU drew national attention when we launched a concierge coaching model of student support in which trained and caring staff have regular contact with a small group of students to provide ongoing encouragement and to help them with any needs,” he said. “This model will now be used to help students in the new college get answers to any question they may have, plus the ongoing support needed to get more of them to the finish line of graduation.”

Carr also noted that rather than having to wait for traditional semesters to begin, students can enroll in the new college weekly, and all classes will last just eight weeks and have a common look and feel.

“All classes have been designed by professional course designers, thus freeing up our faculty to focus their time on providing students with an outstanding and highly personalized experience with regular and fast feedback,” he said.

The result of a multi-year planning effort, the new college was the collaborative vision of Carvajal and many others at the university.

“This new college is designed with the goal of helping many more adult learners complete their degree,” Carvajal said. “Our faculty and staff take pride in being innovative leaders in Georgia and beyond, and they will play a big role in the support and success of the students in our new Online College for Career Advancement.”

“We know that there are far too many Georgians trying to complete degrees from an institution outside our state,” Carr added. “We want them to know that there is a more affordable option closer to home with all the personal attention and convenience they have come to appreciate and expect.”

The Online College for Career Advancement will offer eight degrees, including:

• Bachelor of Business Administration in Management

• Bachelor of Business Administration in General Business

• Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership

• Bachelor of Science in Psychology

• Bachelor of Science in Education in Elementary Education

• Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

• Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems

• Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies

While Carr notes that the new college includes many innovative aspects, he added that VSU is certainly not new to online education.

“The university has been recognized on multiple ‘best of’ lists and previously offered more than 40 bachelor, master, specialist, and doctoral degrees in more traditional online formats,” he said.