We all want to save money… especially during an endeavor as expensive as college, right? Come to find students can save tens of thousands of dollars by graduating in 4 years. Though it is more work compacted into a shorter time span, It allows the student to get their studies finished and reap the benefits of their chosen career sooner—not having to drag out school and deal with the consequences that may yield.
Many students fail to graduate in 4 years due to 3 reasons: 1.) either they take too many classes that do not count toward their majors, 2.) they take too few of classes resulting in a longer college experience in order to earn the required amount of course credits, 3.) they work or become too involved with outside activities that interfere with their studies and result in neglecting their studies. It is immensely advantageous for the student to try their best to keep these 3 obstacles from hindering their ability to meet the goal of graduating in 4 years.
Students neglect to consider the cost of even one additional year in school; Complete College America estimates that an extra year of college can cost as much as $68,153. Not only are students who take more than 4 years to graduate missing out on the income they would earn in their new job with their new degree, but they are paying for room and board (if they are living on campus) and they are paying additional years of unnecessary student fees (“The Price of Not,” 2017).
Colleges realize that it benefits not only the students, but that institution as well, fas when students graduate in 4 years, there is a decrease in the dropout rate (meaning more money for the institution). For this reason, initiatives have been set in place at a number of schools to encourage graduation in 4 years. One initiative some schools have incorporated includes a flat rate for a semester of tuition as opposed to paying per course/credit.
For students to be on track to graduate in 4 years, students should pace themselves by taking (5) 3 credit hour classes a semester (15 credit hours total a semester). To graduate even earlier or if you find that taking 5 classes a semester simply isn’t compatible with your schedule, most universities offer a summer semester in which you are able to take 2 or 3 classes over the course of 2 months in order to keep on track to graduate in your choice timeframe.
Ward, Lisa. “The High Price of Not Completing College in Four Years.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 8 June 2017.