Students: Stay on Track

October 31, 2011

Today, Oct. 31, marks the kick-off of the University of Alaska “Stay on Track” awareness campaign. I’m pleased to join my colleagues, Chancellor Tom Case of UAA and Chancellor John Pugh of UAS, to fully support this statewide effort led by UA President Pat Gamble.

The campaign is specifically focused on first-time, full-time bachelor’s degree-seeking students. The goal is to educate these students on what they need to do to graduate in four years. These ways include:

Taking 30 credits a year

Choosing a major

Meeting regularly with their advisor

Considering summer enrollment

Using DegreeWorks at UAOnline

There is a significant financial benefit to students who graduate in four years. For instance, it costs a student $10,000 more to graduate in five years instead of four. Students need to make every credit they take count — meeting regularly with an advisor can help ensure that. Also, the recently implemented Alaska Performance Scholarship requires students to be enrolled in 15 credits per semester for their sophomore through senior years.

More information on “Stay on Track” can be found online at www.alaska.edu/stayontrack/. The website is a great resource for students and includes a year-by-year checklist of actions to take to graduate in four years.