Many of Georgia’s public universities have found success by offering online courses. It could now cost them millions of dollars in funding they were expecting from the state.
A budget proposal passed by the state Senate Friday would grant the University System of Georgia nearly $3.8 billion, roughly $100 million less than what was proposed by the House and governor’s office. The discrepancy is largely because of a new provision which would reduce USG funding by $123.5 million “to reflect increased credit hour productivity for online courses.”
Online education is popular in Georgia and beyond, according to the USG. But Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, believes those courses are cheaper for universities to provide. As chair of the powerful appropriations committee, he called it “common intuition.”
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
“If you’re online, you’re not having to pay for the security, the electricity, the building, all the other things that wrap around with providing education,” Tillery told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after Friday’s vote.
Some faculty are skeptical. Matthew Boedy, president of the Georgia chapter of American Association of University Professors, said online education is not necessarily cheaper. Universities still have building maintenance and utility costs, and “there’s still human faculty teaching classes online and you have to pay them,” said Boedy, a professor at the University of North Georgia.
The Senate proposal changes the USG funding formula so that an online credit hour receives slightly less funding than an in-person credit hour.
Online classes have become more popular since the COVID-19 pandemic, with schools like Georgia Tech using them to help increase their enrollment. Data presented at a February Board of Regents meeting by Angela Bell, USG vice chancellor for research & policy analysis, showed that in fall 2023, roughly a quarter of all USG undergraduate courses were offered fully online.
While the USG did not respond to a request for comment Friday, it’s likely unwelcome news for the system and Chancellor Sonny Perdue. The Georgia Board of Regents held an emergency meeting on Wednesday, called with less than 24 hours’ notice because of “special circumstances” related to the budget.
“I’ve never met an agency that has been happier with less funding than more,” said Tillery, a candidate for lieutenant governor.
Savings from the USG formula change will help fund the Employee Retirement System of Georgia.
“I fully support state retirees getting more money, but choosing to cut from the USG at this late hour screams politics and not student success,” said Boedy. “I hope Statehouse leaders can come to an agreement and restore these funds and pay retirees.”
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
Tillery objects to referring to the proposal as a funding cut. While it’s less than what was allocated by the governor’s office and House, he noted that the Senate version would provide the USG nearly $3.8 billion; last year, the system got $3.6 billion.
“Only in government can someone have more money the next year than they did the previous year and that somehow be a cut,” said Tillery.
The House, governor’s office and Senate will have to come to an agreement before the legislative session ends on Thursday. And while the bill’s prospects of passing in the House are unclear, the unexpected provision could cause heartburn for some members.
Rep. Chuck Martin, R-Alpharetta, chairs the House higher education committee. He didn’t learn about the USG reduction until the Senate bill was unveiled Wednesday.
“I’m always suspect of last-minute things like that,” Martin said, adding that he is still learning about the bill and its USG provision. “As a general rule, if it’s a great idea, you probably socialized it with people.”
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