Gwinnett Daily Post

LAWRENCEVILLE - Students at Georgia Perimeter College will be guaranteed transfer to Gwinnett's fledgling university, according to an agreement announced Monday.

The deal could allow students to begin college at the inexpensive two-year school and bolster the admissions at Georgia Gwinnett College, the Lawrenceville campus that once served as classrooms for GPC.

"Georgia Gwinnett College is delighted to partner with GPC as we serve Gwinnett County and the northeast Atlanta metropolitan region by offering targeted baccalaureate degrees," said Georgia Gwinnett's President Daniel Kaufman. "With this agreement, we look forward to serving even more students in this growing and diverse region."

Perimeter graduates have been a part of the student body at the new four-year college, since it opened to rising juniors in 2006. About 30 percent of the transfer students who joined Georgia Gwinnett this semester were from Georgia Perimeter, said Demetrios Lambros, assistant director of public affairs.

Officials hope students will continue to follow that path.

"It's a win-win situation for both colleges and students," said Georgia Perimeter President Anthony Tricoli. "We get to send our graduates to a fine institution that is close to home, and Georgia Gwinnett gets students who have been taught by award-winning

faculty in small classes and are equipped for success as they continue their education."

Georgia Perimeter has transfer admission guarantee agreements with 20 other colleges across the state, including the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and Georgia State University.

The requirements for each institution differ, guaranteeing general admission but not necessarily admission to a specific major.

The Georgia Gwinnett transfer requirements include graduation from GPC with an associate degree, at least a 2.0 grade point-average and at least 60 transferable credits, the last 30 of which must be earned at GPC.

"In this economy, many Georgians may be unable to attend a four-year institution, and consequently will lack the education and skills needed to survive in these times," Tricoli said. "As educators and leaders, we have to come up with new solutions such as TAGs, which allow for a seamless and streamlined transfer. Students can complete their education in a timely manner and save money by taking all their core courses at GPC."

Officials expect to have 3,000 students enrolled at Georgia Gwinnett next August, with the student population growing to 8,000 in 2010, Lambros said.