V-State Experience Tallahassee Dec. 5

VALDOSTA – Valdosta State University’s V-State Experience tour continues Thursday, Dec. 5 with a stop in Tallahassee at the Doubletree by Hilton.

During the tour stop potential students will hear from representatives about all that VSU has to offer, including information on academic programs and degrees, student activities and athletics. This tour serves as one of the first major recruiting efforts in the Tallahassee area since in-state tuition waivers were applied at the beginning of fall semester.

While VSU already had in-state waivers for students from Hamilton, Madison and Nassau (Kings Bay) counties in Florida, the Board of Regents recently authorized VSU to provide in-state rates for students from Leon, Jefferson, Columbia and Baker counties.

The Florida in-state waivers are offered to students, who meet the university’s admissions requirements and live in one of the five counties that border VSU’s service region. With in-state tuition at $3,442, based on 15 credit hours, and out-of-state tuition at $9,733, students are able to save $6,291 in tuition costs. Savings total more than $12,500 annually with more than $45,000 over the course of four years (based on fall 2013 tuition).

“I had been considering Florida State University,” said Cole Davis, currently a student at Aucilla Christian Academy located in Monticello, Fla. “However, one of the biggest incentives for me in choosing VSU was the close-knit feel and individual attention that I know I will get. That, combined with the in-state tuition, made it a good fit for me.”

The high school senior will start classes at VSU in Fall 2014 and plans to major in exercise physiology. His mother, Tonja Davis is a graduate of Valdosta State and attended using the in-state waiver for Madison County residents.

“We go to church in Valdosta as well,” said Tonja Davis. “Valdosta is a great place and the fact that we could take advantage of the in-state tuition really helps. In addition, Ryan Hogan from Admissions has been tremendous with helping us meet deadlines and such.”

While in-state tuition waivers provide an advantage for students from these areas of Florida, the waivers will also benefit departments and programs in student recruitment efforts.

“We believe Theatre and Dance will benefit from the in-state tuition rates from the Florida area based on the strong theatre programs in the high schools in those areas,” said Jacque Wheeler, professor of theatre and chair of Theatre and Dance.

Faculty members from Theatre and Dance, as well as string and jazz faculty from the Music Department, have begun recruitment efforts by visiting multiple schools and establishments in Tallahassee this semester.

“Our director of choirs is giving a clinic with a choir this semester as well, so we certainly think this will be a wonderful new market for potential VSU students for the future,” said Dr. Doug Farwell, head of the Music Department. “Our two director of bands will represent our program and VSU at the Florida Music Educators Conference as well early in the spring semester.”  

Dr. Barry Hojjatie, professor of engineering studies, sees the in-state waiver agreement as an opportunity to recruit more students for the university’s Regents Engineering Transfer Program (RETP).

“Specifically, high school graduates from north Florida areas who want to go to Georgia Tech for their engineering program but are not qualified to be admitted directly can take advantage of the RETP program,” said Hojjatie. “The fact that they can complete our program without paying an out-of-state tuition and then have a very good chance to be admitted to Tech may lead them to choose VSU.”

In-state tuition for north Florida students provides a huge advantage for VSU’s Marriage and Family Therapy program also.

“FSU (Florida State University) does not offer a master’s degree in family therapy, but they have a robust undergraduate program in family studies—this opens a huge recruiting opportunity for us,” said Dr. Kate Warner, professor and director of Marriage and Family Therapy. “Also, we have spent the last few years working hard to develop relationships with HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities) in Atlanta, and I am delighted that I can now include FAMU (Florida A&M University) in our efforts. I have contacted FAMU and have had a very positive response.”

The V-State Experience Tallahassee event begins at 6:30 p.m. To register for the event, visit http://www.valdosta.edu/admissions/undergraduate/forms/registration/tallahassee-registration.php or contact the Office of Admissions at (229) 333-5791.

Valdosta State University’s 2013-2019 Strategic Plan represents a renewal of energy and commitment to the foundational principles for comprehensive institutions.

Implementation of the plan’s five goals, along with their accompanying objectives and strategies, supports VSU’s institutional mission and the University System of Georgia’s mission for comprehensive universities.

The story above demonstrates VSU's commitment to meeting the following goals:

Goal 1: Recruit, retain, and graduate a quality, diverse student population and prepare students for roles as leaders in a global society.

Goal 3: Promote student, employee, alumni, retiree, and community engagement in our mission.

Visit http://www.valdosta.edu/administration/planning/strategic-plan.php to learn more.