CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Higher Education Policy Commission will roll out an informational campaign on college and university campuses encouraging students to graduate within four years.
Higher Education Chancellor Dr. Paul Hill said the “15 to Finish” campaign will encourage students to take at last 15 credit hours every semester in order to graduate on time.
“The sooner you get through college, you complete in a timely manner, the sooner you can get into the workforce, the less money perhaps you have to borrow in student loans, the less tuition you have to pay for additional semesters,” Hill said. “So it makes a lot of sense.”
The chancellor cited a misconception that students only need 12 credit hours per semester—the minimum to be categorized as a full-time student—to graduate in four years.
Students are sometimes counseled, especially amid academic struggles, to take just 12 hours to remain full-time.
“We think that is sending the wrong message and, in fact, the research indicates that students academically perform better (with at least 15 hours),” Hill said. “That’s the silver lining here.”
The HEPC plans to launch the multi-platform campaign across various campuses during the fall semester.