College is a gamble. Play your cards right and you walk away with a degree in four years and a chance at a new career. Play them wrong and you may drop out or extend your stay, spending six or more years getting a bachelor’s degree and graduating with a hefty debt.
Prolonging college “delays when students are able to enter into a career, begin contributing to the economy and making a salary,” said Ben Kohl, president of the Kansas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, in an email. “Monetarily, each semester can cost anywhere between $10,000 and $50,000, depending on the student’s chosen college or university.”
When it comes to this costly gamble, not everyone starts with a fair deck. College completion can depend on factors outside of your control, including whether your parents went to college, their income and your high school preparation, says Paul Attewell, a professor at the CUNY Graduate Center, who coauthored a study on college completion and school selectivity.
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Don’t despair, say experts. There are some tipoffs that you can identify and control to minimize your risk of graduating late or dropping out.
— You’re undecided. Waffling between majors or switching concentrations late in the game increase the chances that you’ll delay your degree.
“Students get in trouble when they go down the road toward a major and have to switch because they change their minds,” says Ed Venit, a senior director with the Education Advisory Board, which provides research and technology to higher education professionals.
Students should do what they can to knock out requirements early and understand the courses they need to graduate, says Venit.
Kohl recommends having a strong idea of your major before you begin college. “If possible, students should have a fairly firm idea of the field of study they want to pursue by the end of the fall semester of their junior year of high school,” says Kohl.
If you can’t make up your mind, ask colleges what they do to make sure that undecided students are making progress and push them toward a major, says Carla Hickman, also of the Education Advisory Board.
— You work long hours. A college job pays the bills, but working too many hours can cost you more in the long run.
“Students who work 30 or more hours per week are imperiling their chances of finishing,” says Attewell. “You’ve tilted the odds against yourself.”
Overworked students may struggle to pass courses or drop to part-time status, which can cause them to lose academic momentum, says Venit.
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Attewell recommends not letting your independence get the best of you. Don’t try to shoulder your entire tuition bill by yourself. If the Free Application for Federal Student Aid determines that your family can contribute to your education, and they’re willing, let them help you out.
Limiting hours at work, working on campus and finding paid internships can help your job complement your course work.
— You’re taking 12 credits. Don’t assume that you’re on track to graduate in four years just because you’re taking enough credits to count as a full-time student, says Venit.
The full-time credit load at many schools is typically 12 credits per semester, but students don’t realize that 12 credits put them on track to graduate in five years, not four.
Although many schools don’t disabuse students of that notion, says Venit, a few have tried. The University of Hawaii system’s 15-to-finish campaign, which points out that 15 credits will lead you to a four-year graduation date, is one effort. Other colleges and state university programs have followed suit with similar initiatives.
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— Look past the data. On average, the four-year graduation rate is 41 percent, according to data reported by 1,209 ranked colleges and universities in an annual U.S. News survey.
But rather than focusing on the graduation rate at a university, says Hickman, inquire about how to position yourself for success, explore different majors and find campus support systems.
“Never underestimate the importance of perseverance and grit. If a student wants to succeed, the likelihood of success will go up,” says Venit.
Trying to fund your education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for College center.
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Know Your Risk Factors for Delaying Graduation, Accumulating More Debt originally appeared on usnews.com
