Baylor working to help students make sure they graduate in just four years

Yes, college is expensive. But what if a simple conversation and a little bit of planning could save students and families tens of thousands of dollars? That’s a question Baylor is encouraging students and their parents to consider.

Approximately 90 percent of Baylor students receive some form of financial assistance, but even with such aid, college expenses can be daunting. So it’s particularly good to see Baylor working to help students recognize that they have it within their power to accomplish a single action that guarantees significant savings. That action? Graduating in four years.

For Baylor, helping students save money and begin their careers by graduating on time has become a mission. Last month, Baylor released “Halftime Adjustments to Your Four-Year Plan,” the latest in a series of videos showing students “How to Graduate in Four Years.” The videos, hosted by Baylor business professor Blaine McCormick, focus on what students need to know at each step of their college career to avoid costly extra semesters.

The focus of the “Halftime” video is that now (Christmas break) is the time for parents and students to discuss whether they are in the right major and on track to graduate in four years. If extra classes are needed to catch up or get ahead, now is the time to start making those plans for Summer 2016.

The message is needed; nationwide, 60 percent of students take an additional semester or year to graduate. When you consider the cost of those extra semesters — in which financial aid is typically not available, meaning families pay full-price for the extra time — and the money a student loses by not being in the job force, you can why the university is trying to help the Baylor family devise a plan for success.

And Baylor’s not just throwing these videos out onto the Internet to fend for themselves; the university is repeatedly recommending them to both students and parents via e-mails, Baylor Magazine, Parents Network newsletters, and other communications.

Not every organization would try to deflect potential funds back to their customers or students, but Baylor wants your investment in the university to be more worthwhile. So, if you’re a student or parent, have that conversation over Christmas break. You may not want to talk about school after a long, hard semester, but that semester you save will make those few minutes pulled away from food, Christmas movies and family fun all worthwhile.

Sic ’em, Baylor families with a plan!