Predictions of Georgian Business Schools Failed

The FINANCIAL — The predictions of Georgian Business Schools have failed. Tuition fees for 2010-2011 academic years have decreased. Leading universities in Georgia are suffering from the global recession.

Georgian American University, Caucasus University, University of Georgia and Free University have all declared lowering their tuition fees by 20-35% due to the financial and economic crisis in Georgia.

According to the Ministry of Education and Science it is planned that 72 universities throughout Georgia will receive on average 38,000 students this year. The registration for national exams started on 8 February and will last till 26 March. At present, according to the October information from the Ministry of Education and Science 61,196 pupils are registered as being in the 12th class in both public and private schools.

According to a government declaration public university’s tuition fees should not be more than 2,250 GEL. Due to this fact this year tuition fees for public universities will remain the same.

Last year the majority of universities excluded the possibility of a reduction of tuition fees in 2010. The FINANCIAL was told that most universities accepted a lower number of students in 2009. As biz-school representatives say, it’s as a result of the economical downturn and the Government’s decision to raise the number of students enrolled in state universities.

CU President, Kakha Shengelia, denied the possibility of a reduction. 

“For the next year we plan to maintain the same prices we had this year. The fact that for the academic years 2009-2010 CU did not accept the expected number of students was not caused by increased prices. There were other determiners in the picture. The Government has raised the contingent of students in state universities. Another factor was the economical downturn and the interruption of issuing student loans by banks,” Shengelia said last year.
 
“GAU decreased its tuition for Bachelor programmes from 7,500 GEL per year to 6,000 GEL per year for the 2010/2011 academic year for 2 basic reasons,” says Michael Cowgill, President of Georgian American University (GAU).
 
“The market conditions in the country still reflect the global financial crisis. We believe students and their parents need to have a good value proposition for their education – and not need to go abroad to receive it. This decrease will also be applied next year to those existing students that are now paying 7,500 GEL,” says Michael Cowgill.

“GAU previously increased tuition to make text books available to all incoming Bachelor students. It has determined that students would rather make their own choice in buying texts rather than having that additional cost for texts automatically added to their tuition fees,” he adds.

Caucasus University is lowering prices in all its six schools and is adding a Caucasus School of Tourism in Batumi.

“Due to market demand we have lowered our prices at CU,” says Kakha Shengelia, the President of CU.

“We are adding a Tourism School in Batumi which will target as well as students of the region, those from Turkey too,” he adds.

Free University has made the tuition fees in all its schools equal. Moreover in September 2010 Free University will welcome the first intake of students in its newly launched school of Computer Science and Mathematics (MACS).

“For the coming academic year we decided to make prices equal for each school, thus the price for this academic year compared to the previous year decreased for some schools and increased for others.

According to our new project Learn Today, Teach Tomorrow, we are offering each student transitional funding – each student accepted at Free University of Tbilisi will receive higher education without having to pay their tuition fees for four years, and after graduation when he/she becomes successful in his/her career development, they will fund a freshmen student of Free University for four subsequent years,” says Ketevan Kinkladze, Chief Financial Officer at Free University.

University of Georgia lowered tuition fees in their six schools and is adding a School of Public Health from the year 2010. The highest fees at their schools are from 2,250 GEL.

“Due to the economic crisis we have lowered costs. Moreover our foreign partners are financing some of our students as well,” says Professor Manana Sanadze, Rector of University of Georgia.

At present all universities are actively involved in promotional campaigns.

CU has already held its first open door day at TBC Bank Head Office.

“Holding the event in TBC Bank’s head office was for several reasons. Firstly we are creating a corporate culture, we would like to underline our strong partnership and relationship with this bank. TBC Bank employs many of our students. Moreover, the Bank has the best hall for presentations, which is the second reason we held the meeting there,” says Kakha Shengelia.

“Throughout the whole year we are involved in communicating with our future students, preparing Olympiads and having our lecturers hold memorandums for twelfth-class pupils,” says Sanadze.

“We are visiting the schools from which GAU students traditionally come, distributing GAU brochures, and will also be implementing an advertising campaign on TV and in print media,” says Cowgill.

“For promotion our initiative Learn Today, Teach Tomorrow we are making presentations in over 130 public schools of Georgia (in Tbilisi – 90 schools, and in the regions – in 40 schools),” says Kinkladze.

Tuition Fees

GAU Bachelor of Business Administration (6,000 GEL), Bachelor of Laws (6,000 GEL).

CU CSB – Caucasus School of Business (7,500 GEL), CSL -Caucasus School of Law (7,300 GEL), Georgian-British Law Faculty (14,900 GEL), CSM – Caucasus School of Media (5,900 GEL), CSG – Caucasus School of Governance (International Relations Faculty (6,400 GEL), Social Science Public Administration  (5,900 GEL), CST – Caucasus School of Technology (5,900 GEL), CSH – Caucasus School of Humanities (American Studies and Cinema Science  (5,800 GEL), European studies (5,900 GEL), Caucasus School of Tourism (Tourism management – 4,800 GEL, International Business – 5,600 GEL).

Free University School of Computer Sciences and Mathematics (6,950 GEL), Business School (ESM) (6,950 GEL), School of Law (6,950 GEL) and Institute of Asia and Africa (6,950 GEL).

University of Georgia – School of Economics and Business (Economics – 2,250 GEL, Business – 3,950 GEL, double degree in Business – 6,950 GEL), School of Law (3,950 GEL), School of Social Sciences (3,950 GEL), School of Humanities (2,750 GEL), double degree (4,950 GEL), School of IT and Mathematics (2,250 GEL), School of Public Health (3,300 GEL).

Number of first-year entrants

On average UG, Free University, CU and GAU will accept 2,506 students for the 2010/2011 academic year. The list of students is available below.

GAU will accept 500 students: BBA (250), LLB (250).

CU will accept 901 students: CSB (200), CSL (150), CSL-Georgian-British law faculty (30), CSM (60), CSG – International Relations Faculty (60), CSG – Social Science Public Administration (60), CST (60), CSH – American Studies and Cinema Science (30), CSH – European Studies (60), Caucasus School of Tourism – Tourism management (150), International Business (50).

Free University will accept 165 students: MASC (30), ESM (75), School of Law (30) and Institute of Asia and Africa (30).

University of Georgia will accept 940 students – School of Economics and Business (Economics – 50, Business – 250), School of Law (175),  School of Social Sciences (300), School of Humanities (90), School of IT and Mathematics (50), School of Public Health (25).