NGCSU sees performance based funding as positive

UNDATED - Officials at North Georgia College and State University said they see state plans to tie college funding to performance as a good thing.

University spokeswoman Kate Maine said the school has typically been funded at lower levels than some of it's peer institutions.

"Our success and being able to tie funding to some of these measures is a good opportunity for the university," Maine said.

The Higher Education Funding Commission signed off on a draft framework Monday that would tie state funding for public colleges to performance measures such as graduation rates. Gov. Nathan Deal appointed the group.

Maine said NGCSU sees it as a good thing, because the school is among the top-performing in its sector, in terms of academics, retention and graduation.

"This is a good opportunity for us to have funding connected to some of these performance measures," Maine said.

NGCSU is in the process of merging with Gainesville State College.

The work by the state commission represents a shift from the current formula, which is driven by enrollment and how many credits students take. By adopting such a plan, Georgia would join a growing number of states that connect funding to learning outcomes such as student progression, retention and graduation. Indiana, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee are doing this to varying degrees.

The state is emphasizing graduation rates because projections show about 60 percent of all jobs by 2020 will require education after high school. Only 42 percent of Georgia's adults currently possess a college degree or certificate.