Frequently Asked Questions
You can find your student's advisor online at http://www.advising.gatech.edu/advising_find.php. You may also visit the following colleges and respective schools at http://www.gatech.edu/colleges/ for more helpful program information.
Your student's academic advisor can help - go to http://www.advising.gatech.edu/ for more resources. Students also have the opportunity to meet with an advisor at FASET. GT 1000 is an extremely helpful class and also covers choosing a major.
It is best not to think of there being a "normal" course load. Rather each student needs to determine the right number of credit hourse for them based upon their comfort level. Twelve credit hours is considered full-time status.
Ideally, students should change majors prior to enrollment via contacting the Admissions office. Once the student is enrolled at Georgia Tech, the student should seek their academic advisor and the Registrar's Office to make this change in major.
GT1000, Adjustment to College Life, the Freshman Seminar, is a one-hour/one-credit graded course taught in small groups or teams (5-6 students) in classes of 25 to 30 students. The course is taught by academic faculty and administrative personnel, all of who possess advanced degrees and experience in working with college students and their transition issues. Upper-class students volunteer to serve as team leaders in each class and help support freshman students in their transition to college. The course assists newly enrolled Tech students with their academic and social transition to Georgia Tech. Examples of course topics include:
Academic and extracurricular involvement at Georgia Tech
Leadership Opportunities
Career and Major Exploration
Resume Writing
Team Building
Time Management
Study Skills
Many students elect to accept the credit; however, that means moving into Calculus II which can be challenging, especially in the first semester. If your student has concerns, please contact his/her academic advisor for more help in deciding how to proceed.
No. Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), grades are not accessible to parents. For information about FERPA, please see the following website: http://www.registrar.gatech.edu/alumni/parentinfo.php.
If your student is placed on probation, then they have not met the Grade Point Average (GPA ) requirements for two semesters in a row. A student goes on "Warning" the first semester they don't meet the required minimum GPA and on "Probation" the second semester if they don't meet the required GPA. If your student does not meet the required minimum GPA the semester following the "Probation" period, your student will be dropped from Georgia Tech. We strongly encourage parents and students to seek help regarding courses and course load during the "Warning" period. Parents should visit the Registrar website at http://www.registrar.gatech.edu/students/academicstanding.php for more information regarding academic status.
Georgia Tech students who are currently enrolled or accepted (excluding first semester freshmen) are eligible for parking. All student parking permits will be charged to the student's Bursar account. Fee payments for parking permits must be made directly to the Bursar's Office. Payments for parking permit charges are subject to the same payment policies and schedule that apply to other tuition and fees. The Parking Office will no longer accept payment for student permits. Freshman students may not register a car to park on campus during the initial online registration period their first semester unless they have legitimate, ongoing needs. Such requests must be made in writing and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis for approval. Legitimate need usually is limited to medical needs. Regular off-campus employment not convenient to MARTA rail service or other public transportation may be considered. Such assignments are on a space-available basis.
Unfortunately, at this time, we are not able to send safety alert texts to parents. Our phone system would not be able to withstand the influx of calls that would result from those texts. Situations that may require safety alerts to students also require an operational communication system for emergency personnel. In the event of an emergency on campus, parents may visit http://www.police.gatech.edu/alerts.php for up to date information regarding the situation.
We do encourage that both parents and students sign up for crime alerts from the Georgia Tech Police Department. Visit www.police.gatech.edu/crimealerts for more information.
Stamps Health Services is educating the Tech community on flu awareness and prevention which includes immunization against the seasonal and N1N1 flu. Students and parents are encouraged to visit the Stamps Health Services Web site for more information including how to make your appointment for the flu vaccine.
Please visit Georgia Tech Housing at http://www.housing.gatech.edu/assignments/fall_move-in_freshman.cfm for answers to all your questions pertaining to moving in on campus. We understand that this can be a hectic time for you and your student, our goal is to make this transition as seamless as possible. Please also visit the Housing FAQ's at http://www.housing.gatech.edu/assignments/undergraduate_faq.cfm.
The BuzzCard has many uses and benefits. Your student may use their BuzzCard to pay for meals and other purchases as well as for entry into campus facilities such as parking lots and athletic facilities. Please visit the BuzzCard site at http://www.buzzcard.gatech.edu/ for complete information on how to obtain, use and manage the BuzzCard.
Georgia Tech is proud to offer a variety of transportation methods for students. The Stinger Bus operates Monday through Friday and encompasses much of campus. More information on the Stinger Bus including routes can be found at http://www.parking.gatech.edu/info/1_maps__schedules/2_stinger_all_routes.php. In addition, students can also take the Tech Trolley which connects Technology Square in Midtown Atlanta with the main campus. For more information including routes on the Tech Trolley, please go to http://www.parking.gatech.edu/info/1_maps__schedules/6_tech_trolley_route.php. For safe and reliable after hours transportation, students are strongly encouraged to ride the Stingerette Shuttle. This service is limited to transportation between Georgia Tech operated living accommodations, academic buildings, and Georgia Tech facilities situated within the defined campus boundaries For more information, please visit http://www.parking.gatech.edu/transportation/2_stingerette/index.php. You may also visit the Parking and Transportation http://www.parking.gatech.edu/index.php website for additional information on transportation.
There are several helpful resources available to women at Georgia Tech. Namely, the Women's Resource Center http://womenscenter.gatech.edu/ offers academic performance and personal development resources for the women at Georgia Tech. Please reference their website for upcoming workshops and events. In addition, the Georgia Tech Women's Clinic, located on the second floor of the Student Health Center, provides a wide range of affordable services that respond to women's health needs. Routine exams are provided by a women's health nurse practitioner
Federal Work Study (FWS) is a need based financial aid program that allows students to earn up to their awarded amount over the course of the academic year. Students work in positions that range from clerical to tutoring and technical assistants, and typically earn $8-$10/hour. Students who do not qualify for FWS can apply for similar on campus positions student assistant positions.
If the student is determined to be a HOPE eligible Georgia resident at the time of admission to Georgia Tech, residency status will not be changed due to relocation of the parent(s).
These determinations are made by the Registrar. Typically, however, a student who is accepted to Georgia Tech as a non-resident will retain that classification. Information is available at http://www.registrar.gatech.edu/. Select "students" and then "tuition classification."
No billing statements are mailed. The Office of the Bursar provides real time information on account information and balance due via the student's OSCAR account. Your student can authorize you or another third to make payments online via the Student Bill + Payment Portal. Click here for more information.
Under Board of Regents policy, Georgia Tech is currently not permitted to provide a monthly payment plan. All charges assessed are due on the Friday before the first day of class each semester.
On request, students may request that financial aid increase the designated "Cost of Attendance" used to calculate eligibility by a maximum $1500 to reflect the need to purchase a computer. This adjustment may increase eligibility for certain loan programs and a very limited number of scholarships. Contact the student's designated financial aid advisor, listed at www.finaid.gatech.edu/contacts for more details.
Dropping classes can impact financial aid eligibility in three ways. First, if all financial aid has not yet disbursed for that term, eligibility for further disbursement(s) will be based on the number of remaining hours of enrollment. Second, if a student withdraws completely, eligibility for that semester will be recalculated based on a pro-rated cost for the number of days the student was enrolled. It may be necessary to repay some or all of the financial aid that was received for the term. Third, financial aid tracks a student's "attempted hours" and "completion rate" (ratio of coursework attempted to coursework successfully completed). HOPE eligibility is generally capped at 127 "attempted hours" (see details at http://www.finaid.gatech.edu/hope/). All financial aid programs, including HOPE are also subject to a requirement that a student cumulatively complete 75% of all coursework attempted and to a separate limit on attempted hours. See http://www.finaid.gatech.edu/policies/sap/hours for details.
On April 14, 2009, the University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents — the governing body for public universities in our state — met to set tuition rates for the upcoming year. In doing so, the Regents elected to drop the “fixed for four” Guaranteed Tuition Plan for incoming freshmen. I would like to take this opportunity to clarify these actions and the possible impact on the parents and families of our students.
The Guaranteed Tuition Plan was initiated in 2006 and was designed in part to provide predictability for family expense planning and to encourage students to move towards graduation more rapidly. Unfortunately this latter objective did not occur.
It is important to note that all students who enrolled between 2006 - 2008 will continue to receive the rate guaranteed them at the time they entered the system and will see no change in tuition rates this fall. The recent action taken by the Regents most directly affects incoming students enrolling for fall 2009 and students who enrolled prior to fall 2006.
For those students affected by the discontinuation of “fixed for four,” the Regents elected to revise the method in which tuition rates are calculated. Historically, tuition has been based upon 12 credit hours per semester, with no charge for additional hours. We know that the majority of Georgia Tech students enroll in more than 12 hours, and it is increasingly difficult to maintain academic quality while providing classes for free. So the tuition calculation has been revised to more accurately reflect the costs associated with these additional credits. For purposes of financial aid, insurance, and athletics, however, a student is considered full-time if they are enrolled in at least 12 credit hours in any semester.
The Regents also elected to continue the $100 special institutional fee implemented at the start of the spring 2009 semester. This decision will affect all current and incoming students regardless of when they enrolled. To help guide those in our community affected by these recent announcements, we have developed a resource document, FAQs Regarding Tuition and Fees 2009-10, that will provide answers to commonly asked questions as well as important contact information.
On November 17, 2009, the University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents approved plans to adjust the System’s budget from a 6 percent reduction to an 8 percent reduction for the current fiscal year (FY10) which ends June 30, 2010. The Board’s actions will require each of the System’s 35 public colleges and universities to make appropriate cost adjustments as well as increase the mandatory institutional student fee.
The current student fee, set at $100 per semester, will increase to $200 beginning with the upcoming spring semester for both in-state and out-of-state students. It is important to note that this was an option of last resort; an increase would not have been necessary for reduction goals lower than 8 percent. But as state tax collections continue to slide, this action is important to help spread the cost equally among all students.
With the assistance and support of the entire campus community, we were able to address the prior year reductions with minimal disruption to our daily operations. However, our challenge for FY10 is considerable, particularly in light of the reductions already taken by the Institute. As a result of this latest action, Georgia Tech’s reductions from the original FY09 state appropriations now total $54.3 million, equal to a 19 percent cut over the two-year period.
Since the initial state reductions in the fall of 2008, we here at Georgia Tech have placed an emphasis on preserving its core missions of teaching, research, and public service. To that end, the Institute has imposed differential budget cuts on administrative units, which have absorbed substantially higher reductions than academic units. In most cases, academic units have absorbed half of the budget reductions absorbed by support units. In addition, we have implemented a six-day furlough program and asked units to reduce expenditures on personal services as well as discretionary spending on travel, training, supplies, and equipment.
As we move forward with this difficult year, we will continue to monitor state revenues and to evaluate and consult with the campus about cost reduction strategies, efficiency initiatives, and, in the worst-case scenario, additional furlough days or other possible work-force reduction requirements. You are encouraged to visit the Georgia Tech Budget Update Web site www.gatech.edu/budgetupdate for the latest information on the budget and the impact on Georgia Tech. In addition, we have developed Frequently Asked Questions to help answer common questions regarding the spring 2010 mandatory student fee.