The University of Georgia is one of three finalists for a national award recognizing how public universities help students stay enrolled, graduate and prepare for life after college.
The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities announced the 2026 Excellence in Student Success Award finalists September 14. UGA joins Bowling Green State University and the University of Central Florida. The winner is scheduled to be announced at APLU’s November 15–17 annual meeting in San Antonio.
The focus is what happens after students arrive
The award examines a university-wide commitment to student outcomes, rather than a single class, athlete or academic department. In UGA’s case, APLU highlighted teaching methods, peer support and practical learning experiences.
The association cited first-year retention above 94% and a six-year graduation rate of 90%. It also reported a 14-percentage-point improvement in four-year graduation between 2010 and 2025, with strong gains among first-generation and rural students. These are institutional measures over time, not a promise that every individual student follows the same path.
Students helping other students learn
UGA’s Peer Learning Assistants program places students who have already completed a course back in that classroom to support the next group. They can help facilitate discussions, guide activities and work with the instructor to prepare for class.
The role typically involves five hours a week, including preparation and meetings with the instructor. Assistants are paid hourly and receive experiential-learning credit. It is a structured teaching-support role, not simply a classmate informally sharing notes.
For a student who is hesitant to ask a question, a peer can offer another point of contact. For the assistant, explaining a concept is also a test of understanding: knowing the answer and helping somebody else reason through it are different skills.
Learning beyond a traditional classroom
According to UGA’s announcement, students have completed more than 228,000 experiential-learning activities since 2017, and more than 70% of graduates complete at least two. Activities can include internships, research, service, leadership, creative work and study abroad.
The university also highlights its Comprehensive Learner Record, a digital credential documenting validated professional competencies alongside the academic transcript. The idea is to help students explain what they learned through a project or activity, not merely list that they attended it.
UGA’s student guidance says every undergraduate must complete an approved experiential-learning activity. Approval depends on the student’s school or college. Students should check with an adviser before assuming an internship or outside activity will fulfill the requirement.
Resources students can use now
The Office of Active Learning offers free peer tutoring for currently enrolled undergraduates, with individual appointments and study pods available in person or online. Its separate academic-coaching service addresses planning, time management, note-taking and study habits.
Tutoring helps with understanding course material; coaching can help organize the work needed to keep up. A student struggling with both should not assume that choosing one service rules out the other. The program pages explain how to make an appointment through Penji.
For eligible approved learning experiences, UGA’s experiential-learning scholarship program lists competitive awards of up to $3,000. The published application deadline for specified winter 2026 through summer 2027 activities is October 15. Eligibility does not guarantee funding; students should confirm the activity and application requirements before committing to expenses.
The finalist designation is recognition of the system surrounding students. For an individual Bulldog, its practical value is a reminder to use that system early—before a difficult class, an unfunded opportunity or an overlooked requirement becomes a barrier to finishing.
