GA EASY:  AN AID FOR COUNSELORS< STUDENTS, & PARENTS Larry Peavy Vice President for Enrollment Services, Georgia College & State University  The Georgia Applications and Electronic Advisor System - called "GA EASY' for short - is a comprehensive website and electronic search engine provided by the University System of Georgia. The new website is located at Internet address: www.usg.edu/ga-easy The GA EASY on-line college admission search engine provides counselors and students easy access to Board of Regent institutions websites, admission requirements, programs of study, info on career choices, HOPE and financial aid information and electronic applications to all 34 University System schools. GA EASY was developed by a committee of high school counselors, college admissions representatives, financial aid experts, GCIS personnel, and Board of Regents personnel. Prior to release, GA EASY was tested by the Rockdale County counselors and students. GA EASY was designed to meet the needs of counselors, currently enrolled high school students, recent high-school graduates, and returning adult learners. The site provides all of the necessary information to explore and eventually apply for admission to any of the state's 34 public colleges and universities. GA EASY provides a common electronic admissions application that allows students to apply to multiple institutions on-line without having to retype the same data for each institution. They also can access information about career options and the HOPE scholarship all in one place, right at their fingertips. University System Chancellor Stephen R. Portch said the site also is one more place for students to familiarize themselves with the new admissions requirements that have been implemented. 'in addition to providing valuable information about the college admissions process, this site will reinforce our increased expectations of students. It will serve as a constant communications tool for our outreach to students, their parents, guidance counselors, teachers and others involved with directing students to college," Portch stated. 'It's an excellent resource." GA EASY includes six main information sources: Institutions - links to the 34 colleges of the University System Admissions - specific admissions requirements for all 34 USG campuses Programs - academic majors available at each institution College Costs - tuition, housing, HOPE, etc. Career Decisions - access to GCIS information Apply On-line - students can apply on-line to all 34 University System schools Via GA EASY, on-line applications may be filed with as many institutions as desired. Standard application fees to each institution will be required to complete the process. The secure site can handle electronic credit card and check payments to cover application fees. Applications will be processed as soon as application fees are paid. Another important element of the site is the career-counseling information made available via the Georgia Career Information System (GCIS). GCIS currently provides state and national occupational and educational information to more than 1,100 sites around the state. The database is used by Georgia high schools, middle schools, colleges, universities, employment offices, and other state programs to provide career counseling to approximately 500,000 Georgians. By offering GCIS on the GA EASY site, University System officials hope to expand career counseling to students who may not have time to access the site in their school environments. Students with computer access from home may now spend unlimited time utilizing GCIS' resources. Students desiring to access the GCIS site on GA EASY should visit their high-school guidance counselor or resource librarian to secure the necessary password information to enter the GCIS site. The Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) also has linked to the GA EASY website, providing information on scholarships, grants, and other financial aid, including details regarding the state's flagship HOPE scholarship. Students can view the status of their scholarship and grant applications, view loan information, and gain answers to frequently asked financial-aid questions. A number of public schools around the state have linked their website to the GA EASY search engine, earning them status as "GA EASY partners." If you would like for your school to become a "Partner" by linking to GA EASY, just go to the GA EASY website and hit "leave a comment" for the web master. When you visit the GA EASY site, be sure to bookmark it as your primary college information source. GA EASY will continuously be updated to provide you and your students with the most accurate college resource information available. Return to Counseling Menu