USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue has recommended that Georgia Southern consolidate with East Georgia State College. Regents set to vote this month.

East Georgia would become a part of Georgia Southern, creating an institution with more than 29,000 students, according to a news release. The two schools are less than an hour from each other.

After years of declining enrollment, the University System of Georgia on Tuesday announced a plan to consolidate the school into Georgia Southern University, which is about 40 miles from East Georgia State.