Questions & Answers

How are financial aid, tuition, and fees handled?

Tuition for courses listed in Georgia ONmyLINE may differ depending upon the course and the institutions. Some courses will adhere to the in-state and out-of-state tuition structure and others will utilize a special rate called E-Tuition. An E-Tuition rate is the same for in-state and out-of-state students and is charged by the credit hour no mantter how many courses are taken. Check the course and program listings to find out which approach is applied to those offerings that interest you.

Financial aid information is available at your institution’s Financial Aid Office. Contact them for help with eligibility and application procedures or other questions about aid.

Fees will vary by program. For example, parking fees will be waived for students who enroll and do not go to campus.

How do I apply for admission?

Before you can be enrolled in a program or course, you must submit an application form and be accepted by the institution that offers it.

Undergraduate Admissions

  • For prospective undergraduates, international, transfer, and students seeking a second degree: go to http://www.gacollege411.org/ and proceed to the “apply for your college of choice online” link.
  • If you are an undergraduate student currently enrolled at an University System of Georgia institution and seeking a program or course at another University System of Georgia institution: check with the department that offers the course or degree to find out which steps are needed to enter the online program and then go to http://www.gacollege411.org/ and proceed to the “apply for your college of choice online” link.
  • If you are a transient student, check with your current department for permission to take the course at the new institution and then go to http://www.gacollege411.org/ and proceed to the “apply for your college of choice online” link.

Graduate Admissions

  • If you are a prospective graduate student who wants to apply for a program or course: go to http://www.usg.edu/inst/, select your institution of choice, select the “apply” link, and follow the institution’s regular admissions process.

If you are a graduate student currently enrolled at an University System of Georgia institution and seeking a program or course at another University System of Georgia institution: check with the appropriate graduate school office to find out which steps are needed to enter the online program or course.

How do I transfer credit?

Georgia ONmyLINE accepts transfer credits from regionally and nationally accredited institutions of higher learning, as long as they apply to your chosen degree program.

For graduate degree programs, transfer credits are reviewed on a case-by-case basis after the student is admitted to a specific program; the respective department will review the credits.

For undergraduate degree programs, each University System of Georgia institution’s Undergraduate Admissions office determines what courses may transfer to the institution from other universities and colleges. The credits must be earned from a regionally accredited institution:

  • Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
  • New England Association of Schools and Colleges
  • North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
  • Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges
  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
  • Western Association of Schools and Colleges

For more information about transferring credit, please go to
http://www.gacollege411.org/AdultLearner/transfer/transferring_credit.asp

Will my degree reflect that I took my courses online?

No. All of the courses and programs on this site are offered through colleges and universities in the University System of Georgia. The degrees are accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, as well as other nationally recognized accreditation agencies (more information about accreditation is available in the degree details). Your degree will be issued by the appropriate University System of Georgia institution and it will be exactly the same as if you had attended classes on campus.

How are online courses different from on-campus courses?

Students admitted to University System of Georgia’s online programs learn the same material and benefit from the same rigorous and high-quality learning experiences as campus-based students and they enjoy frequent interactions with the instructor and other classmates. In fact, instead of being limited to asking questions during class or office hours, students have direct access to instructors via email or message boards. Instructors receive the necessary online course skills and training to ensure that they can effectively teach online. These instructors incorporate the best practices of traditional teaching, just in a virtual classroom setting.

Online courses often require at least as much, if not more, time and commitment than traditional courses. With the increased freedom and flexibility comes responsibility. Without the structure of regular class meetings, it will be up to you to stay motivated, pace yourself, and keep up with assignments.

What can I expect an online course to be like?

All of the online courses on this site are instructor-led. Before classes begin, you will be given access to GeorgiaVIEW Vista which will be your virtual classroom. Your instructor will provide you with details about the structure of the course, what is expected of you, and any deadlines. In most courses, you will be responsible for studying the course materials, discussing them with your instructor and classmates in the discussion forum, and completing online quizzes and assignments. Some courses contain a variety of multimedia resources including audio and video or interactive simulations. These are not correspondence courses where you are assigned to read a textbook and take an exam. You will be expected to participate and interact with your instructor and your classmates throughout the semester and in return, you can expect to have the support of your instructor and classmates to help you make the most of your online learning experience.

How do I know if online courses are a good choice for me?

Find out if you’re ready for online learning with SORT: Student Online Readiness Tool

What about technical support?

Georgia ONmyLINE uses GeorgiaVIEW Vista as the official delivery system for online courses. Students in these courses must have access to computers and software that meet certain minimum technical specifications to use GeorgiaVIEW Vista.

To participate in most online courses, you must have the following:

Computer Hardware & Peripherals

  • Windows PC or Apple Macintosh
  • PC: VGA (or equivalent) monitor or better
  • PC: Sound card with speakers or headphones, required in some courses
  • Some language courses require a microphone (a USB headset might be ideal)
  • A printer is highly recommended

Supported Operating Systems

  • Windows 2000, XP, Vista OS: After you determine that GeorgiaVIEW is working well on your computer, be wary of subsequently installing unknown (or unnecessary?) "Automatic Updates" from Microsoft & Sun. Any such update may impair your computer's ability to work with GeorgiaVIEW Vista.
  • Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher ("Classic" Mac OS 9 is not supported.)

Internet Access
A connection to the Internet is required to use GeorgiaVIEW Vista. While a 56kbps (dialup) modem may be used, a high-speed internet connection (cable modem, DSL, or LAN) is strongly recommended. Performance may suffer over dialup, especially for those courses with audio and/or video components.

Java
GeorgiaVIEW Vista requires that ONE version of Sun's Java (JRE=Java Runtime Environment) be installed on your computer. This is particularly the case for Windows computers. Installing Java "updates" will actually install AN ADDITIONAL version of Java on your computer.

Getting Started with GeorgiaVIEW (V ista I mplementation E nterprise -Wide)
If you have not used GeorgiaVIEW Vista before, it is a web-based, enterprise-class, course management system, accessible via many common operating system and browser combinations. Users of Windows XP or the new Microsoft Vista operating systems (there is no connection between Microsoft's "Vista" operating system and GeorgiaVIEW's "Vista" application), may use Firefox or Internet Explorer 6 or 7 to access these online courses. Apple (Macintosh) users can access Vista with OS X 10.3.9–10.4.9+ and the built-in Safari browser (only).

University System of Georgia Vista Browser Checker
Although GeorgiaVIEW Vista has a built-in "browser checker," the University System of Georgia provides a more comprehensive utility to determine whether a computer is properly configured to use Vista. To test the compatibility of your computer with GeorgiaVIEW Vista go to: http://www.usg.edu/usgweb/browserchecker.

Sun's Java
Java is the "fuel" that many aspects of Vista rely upon. The most frequent cause of problems using Vista—primarily for Windows users—involves issues with Sun's Java (Java Runtime Environment, JRE).

Remember: Browser checkers will only tell you the most recent version of Java installed on your computer. They will not tell you whether it's the ONLY version installed, nor will they reveal if any installed version is working properly. (It is sometimes necessary to reinstall an existing Java installation to address Java problems.)