The University System of Georgia was honored Thursday with an award by a national education organization for its work to help incoming students and efforts to keep its 26 schools affordable.

The Colorado-based State Higher Education Executive Officers Association gave the Georgia system its Exceptional Agency Award for 2019-2020.

“The University System of Georgia (USG) has demonstrated a consistent commitment to advancing postsecondary education and student success within the state of Georgia,” the association said on its website.

The USG was recognized for:

  • Momentum Year - an effort it recently started that encourages students in their first year to take courses in subjects they're considering as majors.
  • over the last five years having an average tuition increase of 1.7%, the third-lowest average in Southern Regional Education Board states.
  • expanding access to academic programs in high-demand careers.

“This award is a recognition of the work the Board of Regents and our entire team is doing to advance the University System of Georgia’s three priorities — ensuring more Georgians enter the workforce with a college credential, making college more affordable, and finding opportunities to be more efficient and make college more accessible,” USG Chancellor Steve Wrigley said in a statement.

Georgia’s top three elected officials - Gov. Brian Kemp, U.S. senators Johnny Isakson and David Perdue - lauded the system for its work in a news release.

The association announced the award at other honors at its 66th annual meeting this week in Little Rock, Ark.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrate against the war in Gaza and the detention of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil at Emory University in Atlanta on Thursday, March 20, 2025. The 30-year-old legal U.S. resident was detained by federal immigration agents last month. Emory is one of many schools across the nation with a student whose immigration status was recently terminated by the Trump administration. A judge issued a ruling late Friday that will temporarily protect mor than 100 internationals, including about two dozen in Georgia, from possible deportation. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Featured

Pinky Cole's Ponce City Market location in Atlanta, Georgia, 'Bar Vegan', during lunch time on April 5, 2024. (Jamie Spaar for the Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Credit: Jamie Spaar