Last week, South Georgia State College announced a partnership with the University of Georgia Tifton Campus that will allow students to start at SGSC on an agriculture track and seamlessly transfer to the UGA Tifton Campus and finish their degree. As such, students can graduate from the University of Georgia without ever leaving the area — and obtain a useful and practical degree that will provide significant economic opportunity. The program launches in the fall of 2026.
SGSC made the announcement a special program on campus that featured local speakers as well as Dr. Barry Croom, the undergraduate coordinator at the UGA Tifton Campus.
JT Vaughn, Coffee High School’s Future Farmers of America president, introduced Jack Lingenfelter, a Coffee High graduate and the 2024-2025 FFA Southern Region Vice President. Lingenfelter spoke of the influence of his late grandfather, Donald Van Phillips, a lifelong Coffee County farmer. Because of Mr. Phillips, Lingenfelter took an ag class in the sixth grade, and that class opened the doors for a career in agriculture – despite the fact that Lingenfelter neither grew up on a farm nor did much farm work as a teen. “Anyone can be a part of agriculture through ag education. That’s our mission today. We can have a lot of pride knowing that Georgia is leading the way in ag education from elementary school all the way to the graduate level. But we should never stay comfortable here. There is a lot of work to do. Today is an exciting day as South Georgia opens the door for more students to study and work in agriculture. We are telling the story that South Georgia is committed to opportunities for more students to choose agriculture,” he said.
“We’re helping students clear new ground, not with tractors and bare hands, but with opportunities, guidance, and education. We’re planning pathways that lead to careers in agriculture, the number one business in Georgia. And doing so we’re serving the very purpose of which this college was founded in 1906 as 11th District Agriculture and Mechanical School. Today is an important day for our college, for our region and the future of agriculture across South Georgia. I am honored to announce a new forward-looking pathway between South Georgia State College and the University Georgia Tifton campus, an agriculture path that will allow students to earn an associate of science degree at SGSC and seamlessly transfer to complete a bachelor’s degree in agriculture through UGA’s Tifton four-year programs. The pathway reflects a shared vision and commitment. Together, SGSC and UGA Tifton are expanding access to high-quality agriculture education, strengthening workforce pipelines, and preparing the next generation of farmers, researchers, extension professionals, agribusiness leaders, and innovators who will sustain the growth in Georgia’s agriculture economy,” said Dr. Greg Tanner, SGSC’s acting president.
“In agriculture today, if you’ve been outside at all, you know that agriculture today is not what it was 30 or 40 years ago. It still involves farming, thank goodness, but it also involves data science, environmental systems, business and finance, biotechnology, and even pathways in the field like medicine and public health. Agriculture is one of the most interdisciplinary, opportunity-rich sections of the economy today. Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not always visible, though. This partnership closes that gap. You’re putting keys in the hands of young people today. It’s helping them build their future. It tells the students sitting at Fitzgerald High School or sitting in a classroom in Coffee County, for example, you don’t have to leave your community to get started. But you can go as far as your ability and your ambition will take you. This gives them a starting point at South Georgia State College. Close to home, accessible, community focused, and it’s a clear line of sight to the University of Georgia and that’s how you build a workforce. That’s how to build an economy. And frankly, that’s how you build hope and that we and how we deliver on our promise our promise collectively to Georgia’s most valuable resource – its young people,” said Dr. Croom.
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper and University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue could not attend and sent video messages expressing their support for the program. State Rep. Angie O’Steen, who was in Atlanta in the legislative session, also sent a written statement that Dr. Tanner read to the audience. “As both your legislator and a proud alumni of South Georgia State College, this announcement is especially close to my heart. SGSC has long been a place where opportunity begins, where students are equipped not only with knowledge, but with purpose. Today, that legacy is being strengthened in a powerful way. This new partnership with the University of Georgia Tifton Campus represents more than just a pathway. It represents possibility. It creates a seamless bridge for students to begin their journey right here at home and continue on to earn a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, the number one industry in our region and our entire state. In South Georgia, agriculture is not just an economy driver, it is part of who we are. By investing in this agricultural pathway, we’re investing in the future of our farmers, our communities, and the next generation of leaders who will carry forward the innovation and stewardship that define this region,” wrote Rep. O’Steen.
The program allows students to start with an Associate of Science at SGSC in agribusiness, agricultural education, biological sciences, and general agricultural studies. From there, students will transfer to the UGA Tifton Campus and complete their degree – which will come from the University of Georgia. There will also be opportunities to obtain a master’s degree – all without ever leaving the region. Possible careers are agribusiness and farm management, agricultural education and extension, environmental and biological sciences, agriscience and research, and graduate and professional school opportunities.
For more information regarding the program, contact Tyler Lott at SGSC (tyler.lott@sgsc.edu) or Katy Warren at UGA Tifton (katy.warren@uga.edu).
