UNR Implements “15 to Finish” Program
UNR Implements “15 to Finish” Program
9 October 2014
RENO, Nev. – The University of Nevada, Reno implemented a new “15 to Finish ” program this year in order to push students to graduate in four years. By boosting four-year graduation rates, the school will receive more federal funding which will in theory lower tuition prices. “15 to Finish” is a Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) campaign to encourage students to take more credits per year so they can graduate in four years.
The program comes from “Complete College America” and it focuses on making students plan out their four-year experience. There are over 1,000 more students this year in 15 credits than last year. Currently, 53.6 percent of Nevada students are graduating in 6 years, with the new program that number is expected to be drastically different in three years.
Tim Wolfe, the director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, brought the program to campus to improve four-year graduation rates and help students save money. While the program can be very beneficial to the university as a whole, some students are unhappy about the push because it threatens their financial aid if they don’t meet the 15 credit minimum.
“It gets students to talk to their advisers and plan for the future,” Wolfe said. “College is a planned experience, and we need to do a better job at educating the students to plan for the next four years, not just one semester at a time.”
There are exceptions for students who meet certain criteria; if you are graduating within the year, are Disability Resource Center (DRC) certified, are receiving an athletic scholarship or if you are in a program in which you are not allowed to take more than a certain number of credits (such as Nursing). The program affects about 5,000 students and 718 appealed it this semester. Those who don’t appeal and meet the exceptions can expect benefits besides graduating early, such as accumulating less debt from tuition and fees.
Rocio Hernandez, 20, is working two jobs this year and is having a difficult time coping with the work load. As a junior at the university she is taking more difficult, high-level classes and is enrolled in 15 credits because of “15 to Finish”. Students like Hernandez feel that they have put in a situation where they are asked to take on an inappropriate amount of coursework.
“I think it’s ridiculous that I should be babied into graduating,” Hernandez said. “It’s money that I’ve earned also, it’s not just money that I get from FAFSA, it’s also money that I get from scholarships and I earned it by merit or by my community service. So I should know how I’m going to use that money… it shouldn’t be the school’s decision.”
Jafeth Sanchez, the research assistant professor in the College of Education, specializes in the program “GEAR Up” (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness) and evaluation within educational leadership in the college. As a professional in education, she was able to give some insight into the possible pros and cons of the program.
“The more that students are on the pathway of being full-time enrollment, that has been demonstrated as being directly related to completion of higher education.” Sanchez said in regards to the pros of “15 to Finish”.
This is a main driving point that encouraged UNR to bring the program to campus. A conflict arises when students affected by the program have personal commitments and problems clash with the the amount of school work they have.
“The cons to ’15 to Finish’ are in terms of having a campus that is culturally responsive and understanding of the demographics of the population of its students,” Sanchez said. “There are so many students…that need the support of having that flexibility and understanding that they have to work full time and they cant really take 15 credits for completion.”
Currently it is too early to tell what the program’s role will be at the future of the University of Nevada, in three years it will be more clear how productive and efficient it has been.
-Get to know Director of Financial Aid, Tim Wolfe: Tim Wolfe Profile
-Hear testimonies from other UNR students about their experience with 15 credit semesters: Students Share Experiences With 15-Credit Semesters
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