Nearly half of all students who attend Gainesville State College enroll in one or more remedial classes as a freshman.

And over the last two years, the regulations the state puts on how students enter and exit those courses have changed, capping how many chances students get at passing remedial classes.

In 2010, the state put together a learning support task force charged with implementing ways to increase the retention rate for students who enter college with some remediation needed.

“Basically a university system task force looked at outcomes in the University System of Georgia in regards to remediation,” said Dede deLaughter, director of learning support at Gainesville State.

“And they compared that with some things that are happening with other states that are seeing some higher completion rates.

“The percentage of students completing a degree is pretty abysmal. But that’s a national trend.”

Students are enrolled into remedial classes when high school courses do not match college criteria or if they have been out of school for a long period of time and need a refresher.

The courses in math, reading and English do not count toward a degree and students must pay for them.

Before August 2010, students were given five tries to pass remedial math and four for remedial English before being forced to sit out for up to three years.

Over the last two years, system schools have had to implement changes that lower the amount of tries students get, but also shortens the time they must sit out.

Effective statewide this fall, students will have two shots at passing English and three at passing math before having to sit out one year.

DeLaughter said Gainesville State implemented that procedure “early on” because under the old system, students could appeal and gain an additional two semesters before being required to sit out.

“Our thinking was it is better for those students to take a year off and regroup, rather than appeal, come back, don’t do well, owe more financial aid and then be kicked out for three years,” she said.

“That was our thinking ... so they could come back in a year, not owe more money and maybe have a better idea of what college is all about for them.”

Griffin Johnson, a first-year nontraditional student at Gainesville State, said the new regulations are “fair.”

“I think the way they have it now is pretty fair,” he said. “They give you chances to mess up, but at the same time they kind of light fire under you to motivate you to not screw around and focus on it and pay attention. If they gave you five or six chances, people would probably not start paying attention until they got to the end, and by that time it’d be too late.”

Johnson passed remedial English over the summer and is currently taking remedial math.

North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega implemented the changes last fall. Richard Oates, associate vice president for academic affairs, said no student has been suspended for “failing to exit the learning support program.”

He said reducing the time a student spends away from school aligns with the state initiative to graduate more students from higher education.

“Reducing the length of time a student is dismissed from the university from three years to one year is consistent with the guiding principles of the Complete College Georgia initiative,” Oates said. “This allows a student to resume his or her education in a reasonable time, thus allowing the student to make progress towards a degree without an extended absence from the education system.”

Another change that may affect a number of students is the denial of access to a University System of Georgia institution for students who test into all three learning support subjects.

But, deLaughter said, Gainesville State implements a “presidential exception” for those students who have a high enough “ability to benefit” score on the COMPASS placement test, the test to determine what, if any, remediation is needed.

About one-third of the previous year’s freshmen enrollment can be accepted under this exception.

“So, students who place into all three areas of learning support areas are not necessarily automatically declined acceptance into Gainesville State College,” said deLaughter. “We look at other things to determine if they can be a presidential exception.”

Gainesville State implemented that this semester, per the state’s requirement.

The changes, deLaughter said, may force students to become more self-motivated, something she sees as an issue for some students coming out of high school.

“But because of all the measures high schools take to get students through, students expect that same level of — and I’m going to use the word ‘hand holding’ — to help them in college, and it just doesn’t exist and nobody prepares them for that,” she said.

“I’d like to think remediation at the collegiate level is developmental. So it starts with scaffolding in some of those supports and gradually taking away some of those supports so students take ownership of their education.”

And by taking these remedial classes, students may have a better idea of whether or not college is for them.

“I think a college education is very valuable,” said deLaughter. “I think anyone who wants one should be given the opportunity, but there is this zeitgeist out there that you’re not going anywhere in life unless you have a college degree. Well, I don’t know that that’s necessarily so.

“It’s not necessarily essential to have a college degree, but if you’re in college, students need to have a better reason to be there other than: ‘I’m not going anywhere in life unless I have this piece of paper.’ Then the mentality is: ‘You, Gainesville State College or whatever, are standing between me and my real life. I just need that piece of paper before I can go out and start my life.’”