15-to-Finish

Credit Intensity/15 to Finish was one of four shared areas of interest for participants at the East Georgia CCG Regional Meeting held at Augusta University on March 7, 2016. Brief notes from the breakout conversation on this isse at the meeting follow:

Discussion Notes:

15 to Finish is a Complete College Georgia initiative that emphasizes the fact that students need to take 15 (or more) credits per semester to finish degrees “on time.” “On time” means associate degrees are completed in two years and bachelor’s degrees are completed in four years. 

Degree completion is important because students with bachelor’s degrees can expect to earn 84% more over a lifetime than students without bachelor’s degrees.  Students with “some college, no degree” do not enjoy this advantage and may have incurred substantial educational debt with little or no increased earning power.

Did you know that traditionally, an associate’s degree has been referred to as a 2-year degree and bachelor’s degrees as 4- year degrees? Unfortunately, an increasing number of students are taking more time to graduate with their degree. The 2 and 4 – year degrees have become the 3 and 5 year degrees. Every year that a student spends in college, the total cost of their degree increases because of additional student fees. Additionally, taking more time to finish delays the student’s entry to the workforce to start earning money in their career.