A grant from the Gates Foundation will help Georgia State University improve student success.
The school plans to use the $4.6 million to help students seamlessly transition from Perimeter College associate programs to the Atlanta Campus or GSU’s fully online bachelor’s degrees.
Georgia State says this will result in efficient, affordable routes to graduation and career advancement.
More than 18,000 students are enrolled in Perimeter College, including 41 percent who study fully online and another 30 percent who take at least one online course.
“Perimeter College has long served as a gateway to higher education, and this support strengthens that role by improving online outcomes and creating seamless transitions to four-year degrees,” said Allison Calhoun-Brown, senior vice president for Student Success.
“These pathways will help more students persist, complete their studies and move toward meaningful career and economic opportunities.”
Georgia State plans to implement a three-pronged strategy for student success focused on:
- Enhancing Online Readiness – Assessing students’ digital skills and learning habits to provide targeted support from the start.
- Creating Seamless Pathways – Aligning associate and bachelor’s degrees to remove transfer barriers and strengthen career-aligned pathways.
- Building Robust Infrastructure – Scaling academic support, technology and faculty development, including 24/7 tutoring, personalized coaching and enhanced online pedagogy.
“At its core, this grant is about meeting students where they are and giving them every tool to succeed, opening doors to long-term economic mobility,” said Nicolle Parsons-Pollard, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.
“We are building online pathways that honor students’ ambitions, their time and the realities they navigate, making it possible for more students to confidently enter high-demand careers that shape Georgia’s workforce and economy.”