North Georgia College & State University conferred 278 graduate and undergraduate degrees during the December 2008 commencement.

Eleven Dawson County residents were among those receiving degrees.

The following are the local graduates and their degrees; Christy Turk, bachelors nursing; Tyler King, bachelors art; Krystal Olson, bachelors English; Holly Brooks, bachelors history;  Christine Helton, bachelors management; Melissa Carpenter, bachelors management; Mary Yates, bachelors management; Stephen Kritikos, bachelors physical education; Carol Henderson, masters early childhood education; Linda Williams, masters special education and Jerri Greer, masters special education.

North Georgia College & State University, the second oldest public university in the state, is the Military College of Georgia — one of only six senior military colleges in the nation.

The university, founded in 1873 in Dahlonega, enrolls almost 5,000 students and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in more than 50 academic and professional fields.