Hannah Auston
Associate Editor
How many credit hours are you currently taking? If it’s less than 15, you might be costing yourself more in the long run.
Lewis and Clark Community College has recently become a part of the new #15tofinish movement taking place across the United States.
“Half of American college students need just one more course per semester to be on track for on-time graduation. 15 is the magic number of credits that students need to earn each semester to graduate on time and graduating on time is the best strategy for reducing the cost of college. Lewis and Clark supports on-time graduation through recent reductions in the total number of credit hours that a student needs to earn for an associate degree. Most programs now total at or near 60 credit hours,” said Linda Chapman, vice president of academic affairs.
Students who take that “magic number” per semester typically perform better, maintain a higher cumulative GPA, and are more likely to graduate.
Vice President of Enrollment Services, Kent Scheffel, says, “The program is not recommended for all students. If a student is working too many hours per week or has other major time commitments, it may cause a problem to enroll in 15 or more hours. Students should discuss the program with their academic advisor prior to enrolling.”
Students who take fifteen or more credit hours do not receive a free course, rather they are getting a discounted rate at $118 per credit hour, versus $136 per credit hour if they take less than fifteen credit hours a semester.
“The state of Indiana, one of several that has implemented a program to increase semester schedules to 15 credits, discovered that not only did 15 credits/semester; 30 credits in the first year lead to increased completions and economic benefits, but to better grades. Students who took 15 credit hours also on average improved their GPAs,” said Chapman.
For more information on how you can take advantage of the #15tofinish tuition incentive, contact your enrollment advisor – when you’re walking across that stage sooner than anticipated, you’ll be glad you did!
