Posted Monday, October 21, 2019 @ 8:24 AM Higher education is as an investment—an investment for the obtainment of higher knowledge, an investment for personal growth in a career field, and an investment in a diverse, innovative, and successful future. Higher education is a profitable investment, but it is important to identify strategies to help reduce the costs of the initial investment. In 2017, Debt.org reported that the average student debt is $37,172. One key strategy to reduce the cost of higher education, and student debt, is to consider a student’s progress towards graduation. This is a priority at the University of Central Florida. With this in mind, the Office of Student Success (OSS) promulgates the importance of graduating in four years through an initiative called Think 30. “Think 30 is a campaign designed to encourage students to take 30 credit hours per academic year (fall, spring, and summer),” said Office of Student Success Director Jacob Bonne. “We encourage students to take 30 credit hours, as the idea is that 30 credits times four years is 120 credits, which is what most UCF degrees require to graduate.” Bonne shared the primary idea of Think 30 is financially driven as OSS reports that each additional year of college credit results in losing of an average of $48,000 a year. “Think 30 positions students to take on their next step(s) in a timely manner,” Bonne said. “The cost of tuition doesn’t necessarily change, as long as students aren’t exceeding the excess hours, but in addition to the cost of tuition, there are other costs—such as housing and/or textbooks—that you will need to pay each year you are taking classes.” Bonne and OSS encourage students to plan ahead and leverage all of their options while on campus. “One of the advantages of staying on track—in terms of graduating in four years—is that students have the opportunity to begin their first professional career opportunities,” Bonne said. “Another advantage is that students can continue their education with a graduate program. That doesn’t always make sense for every student and every major, but there is a potential to finish a graduate degree in the same time some students are currently taking to graduate. Doing so may position students for better opportunities and better success financially in the future.” Think 30 goes beyond being fiscally responsible. The initiative is committed to students planning ahead, reflecting on goals and their current position in obtaining those goals, consulting with academic advisors, utilizing campus resources, and understanding what 30 credit hours means individually. Having a plan and staying on track benefits overall student success. It deters students from losing focus, taking a semester off, and potentially stopping their education process all together. One of the main goals of the program, at the moment and for the immediate future, is outreach within the UCF community, in regards of students, campus partners, and even family members. Through its partnerships, Think 30 aims to maximize its reach to students. Think 30 partnered with the Student Government Association (SGA) to provide scholarships to students who complete 30 credit hours in an academic year, the Recreation and Wellness Center (RWC) to advertise the campaign, and the academic advising community (including First Year Advising and Exploration) to encourage students to Think 30 while meeting discussing academics. This year, Think 30 has been sponsored by the Parent and Family Fund Grant. “The sponsorship of the grant has been really fortunate to us, as it helps us accomplish our outreach goals. We’ve been able to get tools and information directly to students, campus partners, and family members,” Bonne said. “It’s one thing for us to say that something is important, but it adds another level when we are able to supplement that importance with tools that the students can use. We’ve tried to become strategic in terms of leveraging our materials items with our information and resources, which we’ve been able to accomplish through this grant.” Along with donations to the grant, parents and family members can support their students by providing guidance from home. By increasing the number of students who take 30 credits annually, it can impact the four-year graduation rate of students. “I would encourage parents to not be afraid of facilitating conversations with their students about their education. Ask students how they’re doing, whether or not they’re planning head, if they’re moving towards their goal, and seeing if there is anything that they need.” Bonne said. Registration for Spring 2020 classes begins October 23, and students will be able to view their registration time under “Student Self-Service” on myUCF. Using tools like mySchedule Builder can help your student select the most convenient class times. Before registering, your student should seek guidance from their academic advisor. For more information, visit: https://oss.sdes.ucf.edu/academic-advising/. Other helpful information about resources on campus can be found on the Office of Student Success website: https://oss.sdes.ucf.edu/resources/ Back